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A Randomized Controlled Trial to Increase HIV Preventive Information, Motivation, and Behavioral Skills in Ugandan Adolescents

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Annals of Behavioral Medicine

Abstract

Background

One in 25 Ugandan adolescents is HIV positive.

Purpose

The aim of this study is to examine the impact of an Internet-based HIV prevention program on Information-Motivation-Behavioral skills (IMB) Model-related constructs.

Methods

Three hundred and sixty-six sexually experienced and inexperienced students 13–18+ years old in Mbarara, Uganda, were randomly assigned to the five-lesson CyberSenga program or the treatment-as-usual control group. Half of the intervention participants were further randomized to a booster session. Assessments were collected at 3 and 6 months post-baseline.

Results

Participants’ HIV-related information improved over time at a greater rate for the intervention groups compared to the control group. Motivation for condom use changed to a greater degree over time for the intervention group—especially those in the intervention + booster group—compared to the control group. Behavioral skills for condom use, and motivation and behavioral skills for abstinence were statistically similar over time for both groups.

Conclusions

CyberSenga improves HIV preventive information and motivation to use condoms.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the entire CyberSenga Study team from Internet Solutions for Kids; Internet Solutions for Kids, Uganda; Mbarara University of Science and Technology; the University of Colorado; and Harvard University, who contributed to the planning and implementation of the study. Finally, we thank the schools and the students for their time and willingness to participate in this study.

Funding

The project described was supported by Award Number R01MH080662 from the National Institute of Mental Health. The clinic trial registration number is NCT00906178. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute of Mental Health or the National Institutes of Health.

Conflict of Interest and Adherence to Ethical Standards

Authors Ybarra, Korchmaros, Prescott, and Birungi declare that they have no conflict of interest. All procedures, including the informed youth assent and parent permission process, were conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Innovative Public Health Research, San Clemente, CA, USA

    Michele L. Ybarra MPH, PhD, Josephine D. Korchmaros PhD & Tonya L. Prescott BA

  2. Southwest Institute for Research on Women, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA

    Josephine D. Korchmaros PhD

  3. Internet Solutions for Kids, Uganda, Mbarara, Uganda

    Ruth Birungi MA

Authors
  1. Michele L. Ybarra MPH, PhD
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  2. Josephine D. Korchmaros PhD
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  3. Tonya L. Prescott BA
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  4. Ruth Birungi MA
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michele L. Ybarra MPH, PhD.

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Ybarra, M.L., Korchmaros, J.D., Prescott, T.L. et al. A Randomized Controlled Trial to Increase HIV Preventive Information, Motivation, and Behavioral Skills in Ugandan Adolescents. ann. behav. med. 49, 473–485 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-014-9673-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-014-9673-0

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