Adolescents' Input on the Development of an HIV Risk Reduction Intervention

doi:10.1016/S1055-3290(06)60238-0

Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care

Volume 13, Issue 1, January–February 2002, Pages 21-27

https://doi.org/10.1016/S1055-3290(06)60238-0 Get rights and content

Adolescence is a developmental period often associated with sexual debut as well as risk taking. Given these considerations, HIV prevention interventions need to become an important component of adolescent health care. This article describes the use of formative research to guide intervention refinement. To refine an HIV risk reduction intervention that has been used successfully with adults, the authors conducted focus groups with 30 adolescent females. These participants identified misconceptions regarding HIV-related information and factors that influence motivation to participate in risky behaviors. They also suggested strategies for recruitment and retention in a longitudinal study. Formative research such as this can be used to develop interventions that are gender specific and developmentally and culturally appropriate for adolescents.

Section snippets

Participants

Following IRB approval, convenience sampling was used to recruit 30 unmarried adolescent females at several data collection sites. These sites included two inner-city teen health clinics (n = 9), an academic achievement program for high-risk inner-city youth (n = 11), and a detention center for incarcerated teens (n = 10). Participants' ages ranged from 11 to 17 years (M = 15), and participants were primarily economically disadvantaged young women of color (77% Black, 13% White, 1% Hispanic).

Procedures

Information, Motivation, and Behavioral Skills

One of the primary purposes of this study was to identify levels of HIV-related information, motivation, and behavioral skills in at-risk female adolescents. Focus groups identified areas of misinformation about HIV transmission and the lack of communication with partners about sexual behavior. Multiple HIV transmission misconceptions were prevalent, including beliefs that unprotected oral sex was a safe sexual behavior and that transmission of HIV was still possible through fomites, such as

Nursing Implications

Focus group methodology can be particularly informative in refining and modifying interventions for use in clinical practice. Many interventions that have been useful in one population may also benefit other populations if modified to be gender specific as well as developmentally and culturally appropriate. Focus groups were productive because they helped us to refine an intervention for female adolescents. Young women tend to use conversation with peers as a way to identify concerns and find

Acknowledgements

Funding was provided by Grants No. K01-NR00152, Motivational HIV Prevention Intervention for Young Women, to Dianne Morrison-Beedy, principal investigator; and K02-MH01582 to Michael P. Carey.

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Cited by (16)

Formative research in nursing: A concept analysis
2022, Educacion Medica
se ha constatado en un número considerable de publicaciones disciplinares, el uso del concepto investigación formativa (IF). Sin embargo, no se cuenta con suficientes publicaciones científicas que permitan definir su utilización. Por lo que resulta necesario identificar los antecedentes, sus atributos esenciales y analizar su aplicación en el campo de la investigación en enfermería.
el análisis conceptual se llevó a cabo en 8 etapas: 1) selección del concepto, 2) establecimiento de objetivos, 3) identificación de los usos del concepto, 4) identificación de atributos esenciales, 5) construcción de un modelo de casos, 6) construcción de casos adicionales, 7) identificación de los antecedentes, 8) definición de referentes empíricos.
se determinaron 5 atributos esenciales producto del análisis de 35 artículos y 5 textos. La investigación formativa como: tipo de investigación (n = 13; 37,1%), fase de una intervención (n = 10; 28,1%), investigación educativa (n = 5; 14,2%), estrategia para la enseñanza de la investigación (n = 4; 11,4%) y evaluación de carácter formativo (n = 3; 9,2%).
los 5 atributos de la IF identificados en este estudio se acogen al marco epistemológico de la enfermería, evidenciando la forma en que este concepto se ha desarrollado en la disciplina. El análisis de los datos permitió elaborar una definición operacional en el campo en la indagación científica, lo cual potencia la utilización de la IF como elemento esencial de la práctica asistencial y educativa de la enfermería.
The formative research (FR) concept has been reported in diverse disciplinary publications. However, there is still no consensus on this concept and there are not enough scientific publications to standardize and define its use. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the background and essential attributes of the concept of FR and to analyze its application in the field of scientific inquiry in nursing.
The conceptual analysis was carried out in eight stages: i) selection of the concept, ii) determine the purpose of analysis iii) identify the use of the concept, iv) determine the defining attributes, v) construction of a model case, vi) construction of additional cases, vii) identify antecedents and viii) define empirical referents.
Five essential attributes were identified from the analysis of 35 articles and five disciplinary texts. Formative research as: research design (n = 13; 37,1%), phase of an intervention (n = 10; 28,1%), educational research (n = 5; 14,2%), strategy for teaching research (n = 4; 11,4%) and formative evaluation (n = 3; 9,2%).
The findings identified in this study are in line with the epistemological tenets of nursing, showing the way in which FR has been developed in the discipline. Additionally, the operational definition of FR opens a field of scientific enquiry in nursing. This result enhances the use of this concept as an essential element in educational and clinical practice in nursing.
Black Adolescent Mothers' Perspectives on Sex and Parenting in Nonmarital Relationships with the Biological Fathers of Their Children
2012, JOGNN - Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing
Citation Excerpt :
Five focus groups (n = 27), two individual interviews (n = 2), and one paired interview (n = 2) were conducted. Focus groups were selected as the primary data collection method due to their successful use in qualitative sexual health research with adolescent girls (Morrison‐Beedy, Carey, Aronowitz, Mkandawire, & Dyne, 2002; Morrison‐Beedy, Carey, Cote‐Arsenault, Seibold‐Simpson, & Robinson, 2010). On two separate occasions only one woman attended the scheduled focus group.
To understand single Black adolescent mothers’ perspectives on the sexual and parenting‐related aspects of their relationships with the biological fathers of their children.
The study was a qualitative description of perspectives from a convenience sample of Black single (nonmarried) adolescent mothers. Data were generated through focus groups and interviews. Participants were recruited using self‐referral and health provider referrals.
The study was conducted in a county public health department sexually transmitted diseases clinic in Rochester, New York.
Single mothers (N = 31) ages 15 to 19 participated in the study. The mean age of participants was 17.5 years (SD = 1.4).
Four themes were identified that reflected the major characteristics of the relationships between the mothers and the biological fathers of their children: (a) You will always care about your “baby daddy” because of your child, (b) Negative behavior is tolerated to keep the family together, (c) The “baby daddy” can get sex as long as we are not on bad terms, and (d) He will always be part of our lives.
Black adolescent mothers have complex relationships with the biological fathers of their children that may include ongoing sexual activity. The intersection of coparenting and sexual health needs among adolescent mothers highlights the importance of integrating sexually transmitted infections prevention with perinatal health programs. It is important to consider this unique coparenting relationship when providing risk‐reduction counseling to young mothers.
Understanding sexual abstinence in urban adolescent girls
2008, JOGNN - Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing
Citation Excerpt :
Several behavioral science theories (Fishbein et al., 2001; Fisher & Fisher, 1992) have identified key determinants of sexual risk behavior that should be targeted in interventions; developmental theory indicates the ways in which interventions should be designed to optimize their efficacy with adolescents (Irwin & Millstein, 1992; Pedlow & Carey, 2004). Our prior empirical research with sexually active adolescent girls also provided us with a foundation from which to develop interventions for sexually abstinent girls that would be gender specific as well as developmentally and culturally appropriate (Morrison-Beedy, Carey, & Aronowitz, 2003; Morrison-Beedy, Carey, Aronowitz, Mkandawire, & Dyne, 2002a, b; Morrison-Beedy, Carey, Kowalski, & Tu, 2005). Focus groups can be used to understand the dynamics of HIV risk and preventive behavior in adolescent girls including abstinence.
To gain insight into the context of sexual abstinence and identify potential determinants of abstinence in this population.
Four focus groups.
Twenty-four, predominantly African American (88%) girls aged 14 to 19 years were recruited from urban health centers and youth development programs in Rochester, New York, between September and December 2006.
Content analysis was used to analyze the four verbatim transcripts. Using analytic induction, groups were compared and contrasted at the micro (within-group) and macro (between-group) levels to identify themes.
Four themes were identified that provided insight into how and why these girls remain abstinent despite being in sexually active social climates. They focused on the following: self-respect (I’m worth it), impact of mothers (Mama says … think before you let it go), influence of boys and other peers (Boys will be boys), and potential negative consequences of sex (Hold on, there’s a catch).
Developing interventions to maintain abstinence, delay onset of sexual activity, and promote protected first and subsequent sexual contact in abstinent girls are key to decreasing future sexual risk. These findings suggest opportunities to develop HIV prevention strategies tailored to the needs of abstinent girls.
Improving the mental/psychosocial health of US children and adolescents: Outcomes and implementation strategies from the national KySS summit
2003, Journal of Pediatric Health Care
The Birds, Bees, and Special Needs: Making Evidence-Based Sex Education Accessible for Adolescents with Intellectual Disabilities
2018, Sexuality and Disability
A “Triple Threat” to Research Protocols and Logistics: Adolescents, Sexual Health, and Poverty
2016, Nursing Science Quarterly

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FeaturesAdolescents' Input on the Development of an HIV Risk Reduction Intervention

Section snippets

Participants

Procedures

Information, Motivation, and Behavioral Skills

Nursing Implications

Acknowledgements

Applied Nursing Research

Journal of Obstetrical, Gynecological, Neonatal Nursing

Association of sociodemographic, psychosocial, and behavioral factors with sexual risk and sexually transmitted diseases in teen clinic patients

Journal of Ado lescent Health

Using information, motivational enhancement, and skills training to reduce the risk of HIV infection for low-income urban women: A second randomized clinical trial

Health Psychology

Low-income women and HIV risk reduction: Elaboration from qualitative research

AIDS and Behavior

Enhancing motivation to reduce the risk of HIV infection for economically disadvantaged urban women

Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology

HIV/Surveil-lance Report, 9

US HIV and AIDS cases reported through December

HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report, 11 (2)

Practical advice for planning and conducting focus groups

Nursing Research

Egocentrism in adolescence

Child Development

Changing AIDS-risk behavior

Psychological Bulletin

Changing AIDS risk behavior: Effects of an intervention emphasizing AIDS risk reduction information, motivation, and behavioral skills in a college student population

Health Psychology

Understanding AIDS risk behavior among sexually active urban adolescents: An empirical test of the information-motivation-behavioral skills model

AIDS and Behavior

The conditions of conceptual change in the classroom

International Journal of Science Education

Features
Adolescents' Input on the Development of an HIV Risk Reduction Intervention