Abstract

Comprehensive sexual health education (SHE) is an effective strategy for improving adolescent sexual health. However, few of these programs address media influence on sexual cognitions and behaviors. Also, more research is needed on using web-based instruction for SHE. Seventeen classes (N = 331 students) in one high school in the United States were enrolled in a pre-post randomized controlled trial to assess the feasibility of Media Aware, a web-based SHE program that uses a media literacy education (MLE) approach. Compared to a delayed-intervention group, students who received Media Aware had significant reductions in their perceived realism of and similarity to media messaging, improved cognitive elaboration of media messages, more realistic perceptions of teen sex norms and risky sex norms, increased efficacy and intention to act as a bystander to potential sexual assault, increased intent to communicate before sex, and increased efficacy to use contraception/protection. These students reported being less willing to hook up, being less willing to have unprotected sex (for males), and positive feedback on their experiences using a web-based program. This study provides evidence that web-based MLE sexual health programming is a feasible and acceptable strategy for improving media-related and sexual health outcomes among adolescents.

摘要

综合性健康教育（SHE）是改善青少年性健康的有效策略。然而，这些项目中很少有解决媒体对性认知和行为的影响。此外，还需要对使用基于网络的 SHE 教学进行更多研究。美国一所高中的17 个班级（N = 331 名学生）参加了一项事前随机对照试验，以评估Media Aware的可行性，这是一个使用媒体素养教育 (MLE) 方法的基于网络的 SHE 计划. 与延迟干预组相比，接受媒体意识的学生显着降低了他们对媒体信息的感知真实性和相似性，提高了对媒体信息的认知阐述，对青少年性规范和危险性规范的看法更加现实，提高了作为潜在性侵犯旁观者的效力和意图，增加了对在性行为之前进行沟通，并提高使用避孕/保护措施的功效。这些学生报告说不太愿意勾搭，不太愿意进行无保护的性行为（男性），并且对他们使用基于网络的程序的体验给予积极的反馈。这项研究提供的证据表明，基于网络的 MLE 性健康计划是改善青少年媒体相关和性健康结果的可行且可接受的策略。