Alcohol, Marijuana, and Risky Sex: Group Interventions With Detained Adolescents

Overview

This research is studying behaviors that young people engage in that may place them at risk for contracting a sexually transmitted disease like HIV/AIDS, and what kind of educational program works best to reduce these risky behaviors.

Study Type

  • Study Type: Interventional
  • Study Design
    • Allocation: Randomized
    • Intervention Model: Factorial Assignment
    • Primary Purpose: Treatment
    • Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
  • Study Primary Completion Date: June 2014

Detailed Description

During baseline assessment, a computer questionnaire is administered, including questions about participants' attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors regarding sexual behavior, condom use, and drug use. A saliva sample is provided as well. A "Time-Line Follow-Back" is conducted, noting on which days certain activities occurred, such as sexual intercourse, alcohol use, marijuana use, and cigarette use. A urine sample is also collected in order to test for the STD's chlamydia and gonorrhea (if results are positive, we schedule a meeting with the participant to administer medication to treat the STD). In the second session, a 3-hour interventional health class is held with groups of same-gender participants. There are 3 different health classes (one focusing just on sex risk reduction, one focusing on sex and alcohol risk reduction, and one focusing on sex, alcohol, and marijuana risk reduction); participants are randomly assigned to one. Participants are contacted 3 months after the intervention, 6 months after, 9 months after, and 12 months after, in order to meet. These meetings entail completing another Time-Line Follow-Back and completing another questionnaire. At the final 12 month meeting, we collect another urine sample to again test for chlamydia and gonorrhea. As before, if results are positive, we schedule a meeting with the participant to administer medical treatment.

Interventions

  • Behavioral: INFORMATION-ONLY SEXUAL RISK REDUCTION (INFO-ONLY)
    • Intervention includes presentation of STD facts, safe sex activities, condom demonstration, video about sexual decision making, group discussion
  • Behavioral: SEXUAL PLUS ALCOHOL RISK REDUCTION (SRRI+ETOH)
    • Intervention includes presentation of STD/alcohol facts, safe sex activities, condom demonstration, video about alcohol/sexual decision making, group discussion
  • Behavioral: SEXUAL + ALCOHOL + MARIJUANA RISK REDUCTION
    • Intervention includes presentation of STD/alcohol/marijuana facts, safe sex activities, condom demonstration, video about alcohol/marijuana/sexual decision making, group discussion

Arms, Groups and Cohorts

  • Active Comparator: Info-only sexual risk reduction
    • Corresponding intervention gives information only on STDs/HIV
  • Experimental: Sex plus alcohol risk reduction
    • Corresponding intervention gives info focusing on sex and alcohol risk reduction only
  • Experimental: Sex + alcohol + marijuana risk reduction
    • Corresponding intervention gives info on sex, alcohol, and marijuana risk reduction

Clinical Trial Outcome Measures

Primary Measures

  • Time-Line Follow-Back
    • Time Frame: used at Baseline
    • A Time-Line Follow-Back is a review of a recent 30-day period of the participant’s life, wherein they note which days they engaged in any of the following activities: sexual intercourse, alcohol use, marijuana use, cigarette use. Further details are also provided, such as whether a condom was used, how many alcoholic drinks were consumed, etc.
  • Time-Line Follow-Back
    • Time Frame: used at 3 months post-intervention
    • A Time-Line Follow-Back is a review of a recent 30-day period of the participant’s life, wherein they note which days they engaged in any of the following activities: sexual intercourse, alcohol use, marijuana use, cigarette use. Further details are also provided, such as whether a condom was used, how many alcoholic drinks were consumed, etc.
  • Time-Line Follow-Back
    • Time Frame: used at 6 months post-intervention
    • A Time-Line Follow-Back is a review of a recent 30-day period of the participant’s life, wherein they note which days they engaged in any of the following activities: sexual intercourse, alcohol use, marijuana use, cigarette use. Further details are also provided, such as whether a condom was used, how many alcoholic drinks were consumed, etc.
  • Time-Line Follow-Back
    • Time Frame: used at 9 months post-intervention
    • A Time-Line Follow-Back is a review of a recent 30-day period of the participant’s life, wherein they note which days they engaged in any of the following activities: sexual intercourse, alcohol use, marijuana use, cigarette use. Further details are also provided, such as whether a condom was used, how many alcoholic drinks were consumed, etc.
  • Time-Line Follow-Back
    • Time Frame: used at 12 months post-intervention
    • A Time-Line Follow-Back is a review of a recent 30-day period of the participant’s life, wherein they note which days they engaged in any of the following activities: sexual intercourse, alcohol use, marijuana use, cigarette use. Further details are also provided, such as whether a condom was used, how many alcoholic drinks were consumed, etc.

Secondary Measures

  • Computer questionnaire
    • Time Frame: used at Baseline
    • Questionnaire completed by participant assesses sexual activity/consequences/attitudes, alcohol use/consequences/attitudes, marijuana use/consequences/attitudes, cigarette use/consequences/attitudes, particularly within past few months
  • Computer questionnaire
    • Time Frame: used at 3 months post-intervention
    • Questionnaire completed by participant assesses sexual activity/consequences/attitudes, alcohol use/consequences/attitudes, marijuana use/consequences/attitudes, cigarette use/consequences/attitudes, particularly within past few months
  • Computer questionnaire
    • Time Frame: used at 6 months post-intervention
    • Questionnaire completed by participant assesses sexual activity/consequences/attitudes, alcohol use/consequences/attitudes, marijuana use/consequences/attitudes, cigarette use/consequences/attitudes, particularly within past few months
  • Computer questionnaire
    • Time Frame: used at 9 months post-intervention
    • Questionnaire completed by participant assesses sexual activity/consequences/attitudes, alcohol use/consequences/attitudes, marijuana use/consequences/attitudes, cigarette use/consequences/attitudes, particularly within past few months
  • Computer questionnaire
    • Time Frame: used at 12 months post-intervention
    • Questionnaire completed by participant assesses sexual activity/consequences/attitudes, alcohol use/consequences/attitudes, marijuana use/consequences/attitudes, cigarette use/consequences/attitudes, particularly within past few months

Participating in This Clinical Trial

Inclusion Criteria

  • Ages 14-18 – Involved in Juvenile Justice System (living in the Detention Center when recruited) Exclusion Criteria:

  • Currently taking anti-psychotics – Involved in similar intervention-based study (2 similar studies being conducted simultaneously by this lab)

Gender Eligibility: All

Minimum Age: 14 Years

Maximum Age: 18 Years

Are Healthy Volunteers Accepted: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Investigator Details

  • Lead Sponsor
    • University of New Mexico
  • Collaborator
    • National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
  • Provider of Information About this Clinical Study
    • Dr. Angela Bryan, University of New Mexico

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