Text-messaging-enhanced HIV intervention for African American adolescents: a feasibility study

J Assoc Nurses AIDS Care. 2013 May-Jun;24(3):256-67. doi: 10.1016/j.jana.2012.06.005. Epub 2012 Nov 2.

Abstract

We examined the feasibility and acceptability of an HIV prevention intervention for African American adolescents delivered via mobile cell phones and looked at intervention-related changes in beliefs and sexual behaviors. We used a longitudinal one-group comparison design with data collected at three points. Forty adolescents, 13-18 years old, participated in the Becoming a Responsible Teen intervention followed by the delivery of daily multimedia messages for 3 months. The mobile-cell-phone enhanced intervention was feasible and acceptable to the participants. Greater HIV knowledge, improved attitudes toward condoms, and increased perceived HIV risk scores were observed with older adolescents (16-18 years old). Behavior trends showed a decrease in the number of times participants reported engaging in unprotected sexual intercourse over the previous 2 months. Mobile-cell-phone multimedia-text-messaging boosters tested in this study provided preliminary evidence of efficacy of the enhanced HIV prevention intervention for African American youth.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Black or African American / psychology*
  • Black or African American / statistics & numerical data
  • Feasibility Studies
  • Female
  • HIV Infections / prevention & control*
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
  • Humans
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Male
  • Multimedia
  • Program Evaluation
  • Regression Analysis
  • Risk-Taking
  • Text Messaging / statistics & numerical data*