Intervention Description
Intervention Package Information
Evaluation Study and Results
References and Contact Information
Intervention Description
Target Population
Inner-city African American male adolescents
Goals of Intervention
- Increase knowledge and reduce
positive attitudes and intentions
regarding risky sexual behavior
- Eliminate or reduce sex risk
behaviors
Brief Description
Be Proud! Be Responsible! is a small group skills building and motivational intervention to increase knowledge of AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and to reduce positive
attitudes and intentions toward risky sexual behaviors among African-American male adolescents. The intervention consists of one 5-hour session delivered to groups of 5-6 males. The intervention includes facts about HIV/AIDS and risks associated with intravenous drug use and sex behaviors; clarifies myths about HIV; and helps adolescents realize their vulnerability to AIDS and STDs. Videos, games, exercises, and other culturally and developmentally appropriate materials are used to reinforce learning and build a sense of pride and responsibility in reducing HIV risk. Adolescents also engage in role-playing situations to practice implementing abstinence and other safer sex practices, including practicing condom use skills. |
Theoretic Basis
- Social Cognitive Theory
- Theory of Reasoned Action
- Theory of Planned Behavior
Intervention Duration One 5-hour session
Intervention Settings
Local community building
Deliverer
African-American men and women with backgrounds in human sexuality, education, nursing, social work, and small group facilitation. All facilitators had at least a 4-year college degree.
Delivery Methods
- Exercises
- Games
- Group Discussion
- Lectures
- Practice
- Role play
- Video
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Intervention Package Information
An intervention package is currently available from
Select Media
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Evaluation Study and Results
The original evaluation was conducted in Philadelphia, PA between 1988 and 1989.
Key Intervention Effects
- Reduced risky sex
- Reduced number of sex partners
- Reduced unprotected sex
- Reduced anal sex
- Increased condom use
Study Sample
The baseline study sample of 157 adolescents is characterized by:
- 100% African American
- 100% Male
- 98% heterosexual, 2%
homosexual/bisexual
- Mean age of 15 years
- 97% enrolled in high school
Recruitment Settings
Local outpatient medical clinic, high school, and YMCA
Eligibility Criteria
Participants were eligible if they were
African-American male adolescents
Assignment Method
Adolescents
(N = 157) were randomly assigned to 1 of 2
groups: Be Proud! Be Responsible! (n = 85)
or Career-opportunities comparison (n = 72).
Comparison Group
The
career-opportunities comparison intervention
addressed career planning and opportunities.
This intervention was delivered in a single
5-hour session; included small group
discussions, exercises, games, and videos;
and was facilitated by African-American
adults.
Relevant Outcomes Measured and Follow-up Time
- Sex behaviors during past 3 months
(including number of days respondent had
sex, number of sex partners, number of
sex partners involved with other men,
and occurrence of anal sex) were
measured at the 3-month follow-up. A
risky sexual behavior scale was
calculated by combining all sexual risk
behavior measures.
- Condom use during past 3 months
(including frequency of condom use scale
and number of days of not using a condom
during coitus) were measured at the
3-month follow-up.
Participant Retention
- Be Proud! Be Responsible!
98% retained at 3 months
- Career-opportunities comparison:
93% retained at 3 months
Significant Findings
- At the 3-month follow-up,
adolescents in the intervention group
reported significantly less risky sexual
behavior (using the combined scale, p <
.01) and fewer number of female sex
partners (p < .003) than adolescents in
the comparison group.
- At the 3-month follow-up,
adolescents in the intervention group
reported a significantly fewer days of
having sex (p < .008), fewer female sex
partners involved with other men (p <
.05), and fewer days not using a condom
during sex (p < .003). In addition,
adolescents in the intervention group
were significantly less likely to report
engaging in heterosexual anal sex (p <
.02) than adolescents in the comparison
group at the 3-month follow-up. (While
the above findings meet best evidence,
these findings meet the
promising-evidence criteria.)
Considerations
- The adolescents in the intervention
group reported significantly higher
rates of condom use than those in the
comparison group at the 3-month
follow-up, however, the sample size was
too small for this outcome to meet
best-evidence or promising-evidence
criteria.
- The 3-month follow-up data revealed
that the intervention effect was greater
with a female facilitator than a male
facilitator for four of the six outcomes
reported above (all p’s < .05).
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References and Contact Information
- Jemmott, J.B. III, Jemmott, L.S., & Fong, G.T. (1992). Reductions in HIV risk-associated sexual behaviors among Black male adolescents: Effects of an AIDS prevention intervention. American Journal of Public Health, 82, 372-377.
- Jemmott, J.B. III, & Jemmott, L.S. (1996). Strategies to reduce the risk of HIV infection, sexually transmitted diseases, and pregnancy among African American adolescents. In Resnick, R. J. & Rozensky, R. H. (Eds.), Health psychology through the life span: Practice and research opportunities (pp. 395-422). Washington DC: American Psychological Association.
Researcher: Dr. John B. Jemmott III
University of Pennsylvania
Annenberg School for Communication
3535 Market Street, Suite 520
Philadelphia, PA 19104-3309
email: jjemmott@asc.upenn.edu
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