Interactive Technology for Media Literacy Drug Prevention in Community Groups

REAL Prevention

Status: Completed

Conditions: Substance Use

Treatments: Behavioral: REAL media curriculum

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; Industry

Identifiers

NCT03157700

2R42DA039595-02A1

Details and patient eligibility

About

This Phase II STTR will evaluate an interactive, self-paced, e-learning media literacy intervention, REAL media, to prevent youth substance use among youth in the 4-H organization. Participating 4-H clubs will be randomly assigned to use the curriculum or continue current practices with the option for delivery at the end of the study. 4-H members (ages 13-15) will complete a pretest, immediate posttest and follow-up posttests at 3 and 9 months to assess effects.

Full description

REAL media is an interactive, self-paced, e-learning media literacy curriculum that prevents adolescent substance use among 13-15-year-old teens. The program consists of 5 levels. Levels 1 to 4 are 15-25 minutes; level 5 allots time for message production done offline. Activities lead students to engage in critique and analysis of arguments present/absent from pro-ATOD and other popular product messages and to begin the process of refuting and counter-arguing these messages. These skills are reinforced in level 5 using an active involvement strategy in which youth plan and produce anti-ATOD messages. Users first plan their message via an online worksheet, which requires engagement with and application of media literacy concepts rather than focus exclusively on technology and/or production features. Next, participants design their posters/videos and upload their messages to a social media site as part of a contest, where they recruit peers and family to like or comment on their message.

Enrollment: 642 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 13+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• 4-H members and leaders must belong to a participating club in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey, West Virginia, or Maryland
• members must be between the ages of 13-15
• club leaders must be at least 21 years of age
• written parental consent and assent from members
• written consent from club leaders (online assent)

Exclusion criteria

• the inability to speak or read American English
• access to and the ability to use a computer, or navigate the Internet
• for youth, lack of parental consent/youth assent/leader consent

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Factorial Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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642 participants in 2 patient groups

REAL media

Experimental group

Description:

Participants in this group will be assigned to use the REAL media curriculum.

Treatment:

Behavioral: REAL media curriculum

Programming as usual

No Intervention group

Description:

Participants in this group will participate in 4-H programming as usual. They will have the opportunity to use the REAL media curriculum at the conclusion of the study.