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OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT04227236

Interventions to Improve Reproductive Health Among Adolescents

The proposed virtual training prototype will provide Making Proud Choices (MPC) facilitator trainees the opportunity to make decisions, build facilitator skills, practice core concepts and enhance self-efficacy with a virtual audience programmed to display a range of behaviors and emotions, simulating a true-to-life experience with immediate feedback. Seventy-two adults who have experience working with adolescents but not with MPC, STI, or pregnancy prevention education will receive MPC training. Participants will be randomly assigned to either: 1) virtual training in the MPC module on condom use n=36), or 2) dfusion/ETR's traditional in-person training in the same module (n=36). Using mixed methods (survey, focus groups, observations), the project will evaluate the virtual training's impact on STI/pregnancy prevention knowledge, teaching efficacy, and teaching skills and its usability, feasibility, and acceptability.

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Key information

Conditions

Teacher Training Behavior Coitus Sexual Behavior

Age range

21 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Dfusion, Inc

Scotts Valley, California, 95066, United States

About this study

Dfusion, in partnership with the RAND Corporation, Allen Interactions and Dr. Loretta Jemmott (MPC developer), proposes to develop an online avatar-based virtual training that can make MPC training more accessible while still being as effective as in-person. In this Phase I STTR, we will develop and test a prototype of the online, avatar-based virtual training for activities of MPC and test it with 72 adults who have experience working with adolescents (but not with MPC or any HIV/STI/teen pregnancy risk-reduction program). At random, 36 will receive traditional in-person MPC training, and 36 will receive avatar-based MPC training. The avatar group (n=36) will be compared to the in-person group (n=36) on their STI/pregnancy prevention knowledge, teaching efficacy, and teaching skills.

The scientific premise is that avatar-based virtual training will prepare educators to implement the popular evidence-based MPC as effectively as traditional (and expensive) face-to-face trainings. The specific aims are:

  • Aim 1: Develop a prototype for a novel, online avatar-based virtual training for select components of the evidence-based STI/pregnancy risk reduction program Making Proud Choices.
  • Aim 2: Using mixed methods (survey, focus groups, observations), evaluate the avatar-based training's preliminary impact on facilitator STI/pregnancy prevention knowledge, teaching efficacy, and teaching skills compared to in-person training, as well as its usability and acceptability.

By developing novel tools/platforms to improve the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based behavioral interventions to prevent STIs/teen pregnancy, this application is in line with the priorities of the NICHD Population Dynamics Branch, which supports reproductive health research on STIs and family planning. If successful, not only will dfusion proceed to Phase II, but the findings could inform other nascent efforts to develop avatar facilitator trainings that could make a range of evidence-based programs more accessible to community-based organizations.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • age 21+ and have no prior experience with MPC or providing STI or pregnancy prevention education

Exclusion criteria

  • non-English speaking

Treatment and study plan

E-based virtual facilitator training for Making Proud Choices

Other

Participants complete the Making Proud Choices (MPC) facilitator training using an e-based virtual trainer on a computer. Making Proud Choices! (MPC) is an evidence-based pregnancy and HIV/STI risk-reduction program for youth. The facilitator training prepares educators to effectively deliver the MPC curriculum.

In-person facilitator training for Making Proud Choices

Other

Participants complete the Making Proud Choices (MPC) facilitator training using the standard in-person training method. Making Proud Choices! (MPC) is an evidence-based pregnancy and HIV/STI risk-reduction program for youth. The facilitator training prepares educators to effectively deliver the MPC curriculum.

Primary outcomes

  1. Implementation Fidelity: Conducting Condom Line-up

    Time frame: up to 1 hour post teacher training

    Participants teach an activity that is video recorded and coded for fidelity to the Making Proud Choices curriculum. Participants are scored on the completion of multiple curriculum tasks by two coders as 2=done correctly, 1=done partially correct, or 0=not done correctly. This particular measure was a single item about the degree to which the teacher correctly conducted the condom line up activity.

  2. Training Knowledge of Condom Line-Up Activity

    Time frame: 30 minutes before teacher training and 30 minutes after training

    7-item survey measure of knowledge related to condom safety and objectives of the condom line-up module of Making Proud Choices. Responses were coded as correct (1) and incorrect (0). Averaging together the 0s and 1, we calculated a percentage correct for the whole 7 item survey, with 100% being all correct, and 0% being all incorrect.

  3. Change in Teaching Self-efficacy

    Time frame: 30 minutes before teacher training and 30 minutes after training

    4-item self-efficacy measure assessing confidence in teaching condom safety, rated from 1 (not at all) to 7(extremely). Scores were averaged to create a self-efficacy scale score. Change scores were calculated by subtracting scores Post-Pre Training.

  4. Implementation Fidelity: Discuss Steps in Condom Use

    Time frame: 1 hour after training

    Participants teach an activity that is video recorded and coded for fidelity to the Making Proud Choices curriculum. Participants are scored on the completion of multiple curriculum tasks by two coders as 2=done correctly, 1=done partially correct, or 0=not done correctly. This particular measure was a single item about the degree to which the teacher correctly discussed the steps in the activity on how to use a condom properly.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Acceptability of Training

    Time frame: 30 minutes after teacher training

    19-item measure of perceived acceptability of Making Proud Choices e-based facilitator training. The overall score, which is an average of all 19 items, uses a 7-point scale (strongly agree to strongly disagree). Higher scores equal greater acceptability. Thus, the high score is 7 (training perceived as most acceptable). The low score is 1 (training perceived as the least acceptable).

    Only the participants of the E-based Virtual Training group were asked these questions.

  2. Applicability of Training

    Time frame: 30 minutes after teacher training

    10-item measure of perceived applicability of Making Proud Choices e-based facilitator training. Items were rated on a 7-point scale (strongly agree to strongly disagree). All items were averaged together to create a total score, with higher scores representing greater perceptions of applicability. Thus, the high score is 7 (training perceived as most applicable). The low score is 1 (training perceived as the least applicable).

    Only participants in the E-based Virtual Training group were asked these questions.

  3. Overall Impression

    Time frame: 30 minutes after teacher training

    Participants overall impressions of the training were assessed using 4 item measure, rated on a 7-point Likert scale ("very difficult to use" to "very easy to use", "very boring" to "very interesting", "very amateurish" to "very professional", and "very basic" to "very informative"). Items were average to create an overall impression score, with higher scores reflecting greater overall impression. Thus, the high score is 7 (training perceived with the highest favorable impression). The low score is 1 (training perceived with the least favorable impression).

    Only participants of the E-based Virtual Training group answered these questions.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

RAND

Other

Collaborators

  • dfusion Inc

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2019
Primary completion
2019
Study completion
2019
First posted
Jan 13, 2020
Registry last updated
Aug 7, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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