Clinical Trials Logo

Clinical Trial Summary

While the U.S. teen birth rate is currently at its lowest level, it remains high in relation to other industrialized countries and continues to be a public health concern due to health risks for teen mothers and their babies, and associated social and economic costs. Parental monitoring, supervision, and open communication about sexual issues have been found to be protective factors for adolescent sexual activity and pregnancy. Our theoretically based Internet program for parents of pre-adolescent children aged 10-14, Let's Talk about Sex, is designed to build parental communication, knowledge, and attitudes to discuss sensitive topics with their child, including sexuality, pregnancy prevention, and preventing sexually transmitted illnesses (STIs). This age group of children was selected because parental communication about pregnancy and STI prevention will be most effective if initiated prior to, rather than after, the age when children commonly become sexually active. The "Let's Talk about Sex" program is grounded in behavior change theory and incorporates the use of video for behavioral modeling and emotional support.


Clinical Trial Description

"Let's Talk about Sex" was designed to help parents talk to their 10- to 14-year old children about sex and relationships. The goal of the program for the parent was to build skills to communicate effectively with their children about parental values and about issues relating to sexuality, specifically by: a) increasing communication with their child about sexuality; b) increasing behavioral intentions to communicate; c) decreasing perceived barriers to communicating about sexuality; (d) increasing perceived sense of importance/motivation for communicating about sexuality; and e) increasing knowledge about risks of adolescent pregnancy and sexually transmitting infections (STIs). The goal of the intervention for the child was to increase child-parent communication about sexuality issues.

Program content was derived from the research literature; focus group findings, and input from professional consultants, experts in the field with extensive experience working with communication about sexuality. Modifications to content and program format were made based on iterative usability testing.

The parents' program was structured around five sessions, which guided the user through a topic-oriented experience of the content. The program used text, video narration, and video testimonials to present the intervention material. Emails were sent to users weekly for 8 weeks, with a link to a recommended session. Users could also browse the content freely as desired. Topics for parents included (1) Influencing your child's decisions about sex; (2) Understanding your own sexual values and beliefs; (3) Helping your child prepare for adolescence; (4) Preventing pregnancy and disease; and (5) Healthy relationships. Parents who responded to a values and beliefs quiz within the "Understanding your own sexual values and beliefs" section were presented with recommended articles tailored to their responses.

The child's intervention was structured as one session with four brief topics: (1) a whiteboard animation titled "How to talk to your parents about sex and not die of embarrassment"; (2) an article about bodily changes related to puberty; (3) a "What's most important to me" quiz; and (4) an article about healthy relationships. ;


Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Open Label


Related Conditions & MeSH terms


NCT number NCT02333019
Study type Interventional
Source Oregon Center for Applied Science, Inc.
Contact
Status Completed
Phase N/A
Start date January 2013
Completion date April 2013

See also
  Status Clinical Trial Phase
Completed NCT05203146 - PIMPmyHospital: a Mobile App to Improve Emergency Care Efficiency and Communication N/A
Completed NCT04105751 - Testing a Novel Manual Communication System for Mechanically Ventilated ICU Patients N/A
Completed NCT04595695 - The Effect of Clear Masks in Improving Patient Relationships N/A
Completed NCT05540444 - RadConnect Communication Application
Recruiting NCT04317664 - Intervention to Improve Driving Practices Among High-Risk Teen Drivers Phase 3
Completed NCT05812599 - Understanding COVID-19 Testing Knowledge and Practices Among 2-1-1 Helpline Callers N/A
Completed NCT03221985 - ESM Pilot: Mobile Phones and Psychology N/A
Completed NCT02267265 - Pilot Study of Novel Postpartum Educational Video Intervention N/A
Completed NCT02695316 - Barrier-free Communication in Maternity Care of Allophone Migrants N/A
Completed NCT03203018 - Health Literacy and Cardiovascular Knowledge Workshop in Women From Disadvantaged Communities N/A
Completed NCT02619474 - The Effect of Whiteboards on Patient Satisfaction N/A
Completed NCT01933789 - Improving Communication About Serious Illness N/A
Completed NCT01697137 - Patient and Physician Intervention to Increase Organ Donation N/A
Completed NCT01459744 - An Intervention to Improve Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Deactivation Conversations N/A
Recruiting NCT01170000 - Timely End-of-Life Communication to Parents of Children With Brain Tumors N/A
Completed NCT01040975 - Teen CHAT: Improving Physician Communication With Adolescents About Healthy Weight N/A
Completed NCT03044145 - The Cultural Formulation Interview-Engagement Aid N/A
Recruiting NCT04533126 - Channels of Communication & Brain Functioning: Pilot fMRI Study
Withdrawn NCT03901547 - Emotion Regulation and Burnout Impact on Communication Documentation N/A
Completed NCT06081660 - Advance Care Planning for Older Latinos With Chronic Illness N/A