Meeting Kids Where They Are At–A Substance Use and Sexual Risk Prevention Program via Telemedicine for African American Girls: Usability and Acceptability Study

BackgroundRural African American youth lack access to drug and sexual risk–taking prevention programs available in more urban areas. Recent data indicate that rural youth now use substances at higher rates and at younger ages than their urban peers. ObjectiveThis study aims to evaluate t...

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Main Authors: Lopez, Cristina, Gilmore, Amanda K, Moreland, Angela, Danielson, Carla Kmett, Acierno, Ron
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: JMIR Publications 2020-08-01
Series:Journal of Medical Internet Research
Online Access:http://www.jmir.org/2020/8/e16725/
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author Lopez, Cristina
Gilmore, Amanda K
Moreland, Angela
Danielson, Carla Kmett
Acierno, Ron
author_facet Lopez, Cristina
Gilmore, Amanda K
Moreland, Angela
Danielson, Carla Kmett
Acierno, Ron
author_sort Lopez, Cristina
collection DOAJ
description BackgroundRural African American youth lack access to drug and sexual risk–taking prevention programs available in more urban areas. Recent data indicate that rural youth now use substances at higher rates and at younger ages than their urban peers. ObjectiveThis study aims to evaluate the initial usability and acceptability of a low-cost, technology-based approach to delivering effective, culturally tailored, integrated substance use disorder (SUD) and HIV risk behavior prevention programs to African American female youth to inform the use of this intervention via telemedicine for rural youth. MethodsEffective SUD prevention strategies and emotion regulation skills were integrated into an existing evidence-based HIV risk reduction program culturally tailored for African American female adolescents—Sisters Informing, Healing, Living, and Empowering (SIHLE)—and delivered to 39 African American female youth via group telehealth. The evaluation of the resulting program, 12-session SIHLEplus, was completed by 27 girls who also completed self-report measures that assessed sexual risk behaviors (eg, number of partners and age of sex initiation), substance use, exposure to traumatic events, and emotion regulation. ResultsThe descriptive and qualitative results of the pilot study demonstrate the initial usability and acceptability of delivering evidence-based prevention successfully via telehealth to help address health disparities in this vulnerable population. ConclusionsAlthough more research is needed, the findings from this study suggest that SIHLEplus has demonstrated initial usability and acceptability.
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spelling doaj.art-fcbdddb73a6c42c29b4d27732e9074122022-12-21T17:24:37ZengJMIR PublicationsJournal of Medical Internet Research1438-88712020-08-01228e1672510.2196/16725Meeting Kids Where They Are At–A Substance Use and Sexual Risk Prevention Program via Telemedicine for African American Girls: Usability and Acceptability StudyLopez, CristinaGilmore, Amanda KMoreland, AngelaDanielson, Carla KmettAcierno, RonBackgroundRural African American youth lack access to drug and sexual risk–taking prevention programs available in more urban areas. Recent data indicate that rural youth now use substances at higher rates and at younger ages than their urban peers. ObjectiveThis study aims to evaluate the initial usability and acceptability of a low-cost, technology-based approach to delivering effective, culturally tailored, integrated substance use disorder (SUD) and HIV risk behavior prevention programs to African American female youth to inform the use of this intervention via telemedicine for rural youth. MethodsEffective SUD prevention strategies and emotion regulation skills were integrated into an existing evidence-based HIV risk reduction program culturally tailored for African American female adolescents—Sisters Informing, Healing, Living, and Empowering (SIHLE)—and delivered to 39 African American female youth via group telehealth. The evaluation of the resulting program, 12-session SIHLEplus, was completed by 27 girls who also completed self-report measures that assessed sexual risk behaviors (eg, number of partners and age of sex initiation), substance use, exposure to traumatic events, and emotion regulation. ResultsThe descriptive and qualitative results of the pilot study demonstrate the initial usability and acceptability of delivering evidence-based prevention successfully via telehealth to help address health disparities in this vulnerable population. ConclusionsAlthough more research is needed, the findings from this study suggest that SIHLEplus has demonstrated initial usability and acceptability.http://www.jmir.org/2020/8/e16725/
spellingShingle Lopez, Cristina
Gilmore, Amanda K
Moreland, Angela
Danielson, Carla Kmett
Acierno, Ron
Meeting Kids Where They Are At–A Substance Use and Sexual Risk Prevention Program via Telemedicine for African American Girls: Usability and Acceptability Study
Journal of Medical Internet Research
title Meeting Kids Where They Are At–A Substance Use and Sexual Risk Prevention Program via Telemedicine for African American Girls: Usability and Acceptability Study
title_full Meeting Kids Where They Are At–A Substance Use and Sexual Risk Prevention Program via Telemedicine for African American Girls: Usability and Acceptability Study
title_fullStr Meeting Kids Where They Are At–A Substance Use and Sexual Risk Prevention Program via Telemedicine for African American Girls: Usability and Acceptability Study
title_full_unstemmed Meeting Kids Where They Are At–A Substance Use and Sexual Risk Prevention Program via Telemedicine for African American Girls: Usability and Acceptability Study
title_short Meeting Kids Where They Are At–A Substance Use and Sexual Risk Prevention Program via Telemedicine for African American Girls: Usability and Acceptability Study
title_sort meeting kids where they are at a substance use and sexual risk prevention program via telemedicine for african american girls usability and acceptability study
url http://www.jmir.org/2020/8/e16725/
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