4,419 research outputs found

    Brief intervention to prevent sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancies : protocol of a mixed methods feasibility study

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    Background: Sexual well-being is fundamental to physical and emotional health, and the ability to achieve it depends on access to comprehensive sexuality information and high-quality sexual health care from evidence-informed, nonjudgmental providers. Adequate and timely delivery of these components to individuals who are at high risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV, and unintended pregnancies promotes sexual health and mitigates consequences arising from risky sexual behavior. Brief interventions that allow health care providers to improve the information available to clients and motivate and help them to develop risk-reduction skills are seen as efficient ways to improve knowledge, change client behavior, and reduce provider stigma regarding sexual health. Objective: The aim of the study is to evaluate five aspects of feasibility (acceptability, willingness, safety, satisfaction, and process) of a brief sexuality-related communication (BSC) intervention based on motivational interviewing and behavior change techniques in primary health care settings in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Methods: This protocol outlines a multisite, multiphase study of feasibility of a BSC intervention in primary health care settings in LMICs that will be examined across four phases of the study. Phases I through III involve the collection of formative, qualitative data to examine provider and client perceptions of the feasibility of the intervention, adaptation of the intervention guide, and training providers on how to implement the final version of the BSC intervention. During phase IV, the feasibility of the intervention will be tested in a nonrandomized pre-post test trial where providers and clients will be followed for 6 months and participate in multiphase data collection. Results: Phase I is currently underway in Moldova, and phases I and II were completed in Peru in late 2019. Results are expected for the feasibility study in 2021. Conclusions: This feasibility study will determine whether the implementation of brief intervention programs aimed at improving sexual health outcomes is possible in the constraints of LMIC health systems and will add to our understanding of factors shaping clinical practice among primary care providers

    NEW MEDIA’S POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON YOUTH

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    Contemporary living is marked by powerful presence and all present use of new technologies. We might boldly state that people might not function well without new media. We heedlessly witness large part of contemporary adolescent’s social and emotional development occurring while on the Internet and on cell phones. Many parents and caregivers today use technology incredibly well and feel comfortable and capable with the programs and online venues that their children and adolescents are using. Nevertheless, some parents and adults are concerned about adolescent’s overuse of new media due to their potential risks and negative impact on adolescent’s psycho-social development. Some parents and caregivers may find it difficult to relate to their digitally savvy youngsters online for valid reasons. Such people may lack some basic understanding of adolescents and the new forms of socialization which is happening online, which are integral to their children's lives. Adolescent’s limited capacity for self-regulation and susceptibility to peer pressure make youth particularly vulnerable and at risk for various risks as they navigate and experiment with social media. Primary aim of this paper is to shed some light on adolescent’s online behavior and choices given their physical, cognitive, emotional, social, and behavioral characteristics and discuss potential negative and positive impact of new media on youth, family and social participation

    Effect of a Multimedia Intervention on Outcomes Expectations and Perceived Self-Efficacy for the Sex Educator Role for Parents/Caregivers of African American Adolescent Males

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    Risky sexual behavior among youth is a national concern and places adolescents at high risk for undesirable health outcomes. According to the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, African American males are more likely to engage in intercourse before age 13 than other racial groups. Research reporting positive impact of parent-adolescent sex communication on influencing risky behaviors has rarely included parents of African American adolescent males. A systematic review of the literature examining health literacy in African Americans supported the importance of including non-print sources of information for this population. The purpose of this study was to test the effect of a multimedia intervention on outcome expectations and self-efficacy for the sex educator role among parents of African American adolescents. A quasi-experimental design, guided by Bandura\u27s Social Cognitive Theory, was used to test the effect of the multimedia intervention in a sample of 61 African American parents with adolescent sons. Paired samples t-test revealed significant (p\u3c.001) improvement in parent outcome expectations and self- efficacy for talking about sex. Although health literacy was not significantly related to parent perceived self-efficacy for the sex educator role, content analysis of open ended questions revealed that parents found use of a compact disk and research packet activities facilitated communication about sex with their sons. These findings suggest health care providers should assess health literacy prior to planning teaching interventions and consider using non-print media to facilitate health communication

    BRINGING SEXTING TO THE BOOK IN CROATIA: STAYING ON THE FENCE OR EXPLORING A FLYING START?

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    As one of the sexual behaviors of young people, sexting is increasingly being scientifically researched. Contemporary analyses clearly reveal young people are habitually using the Internet and social networks in the context of sexuality. These analyses are usually presented within a psychological aspect, and almost never with the context of criminal law. The aim of this paper is first to review the characteristics of sexting, focusing on its definitions, frequency, features, and determinants. We tackle a developmental perspective and potential negative consequences exploring the phenomena within the context of criminal law. Considering that the possibilities of criminal law development leading to sexting sanctioning have not yet been problematized, the second part of the paper pioneers the relationship between sexting and existing incriminations within the Croatian criminal law system, to answer the question of the sanctioning needs and possibilities. The insights provide the first criminal law perspective on sexting sanctioning in Croatia

    You’ve got mail! : Explaining individual differences in becoming a phishing target

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    Although phishing is a form of cybercrime that internet users get confronted with rather frequently, many people still get deceived by these practices. Since receiving phishing e-mails is an important prerequisite of victimization, this study focusses on becoming a phishing target. More precisely, we use an integrative lifestyle exposure model to study the effects of risky online routine activities that make a target more likely to come across a motivated offender. Insights of the lifestyle exposure model are combined with propensity theories in order to determine which role impulsivity plays in phishing targeting. To achieve these objectives, data collected in 2016 from a representative sample (n = 723) were used. Support was found for a relationship between both online purchasing behavior and digital copying behavior, and phishing targeting. Moreover, a relationship was found between all online activities (except for online purchasing behavior) and impulsivity. The present study thus suggests that especially online shoppers and users who often share and use copied files online should be trained to deal with phishing attacks appropriately

    Modelling The Nexus between Parenting Style and Anti Social Behavior using Ensemble Learning Approach

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    Contemporary society is grappling with issues of anti-social behavior in children and adolescents, one of which is influenced by parenting styles. This research employs machine learning technology, particularly ensemble learning, to model the relationship between parenting styles and anti-social behavior. The research data is derived from previous studies encompassing parenting style parameters and anti-social behavior. This data is preprocessed and feature-engineered, then used in modeling through the Random Forest (RF) and Adaptive Boost (AdaBoost) methods. Modeling is conducted in two phases: vanilla modeling and hyperparameter tuning. The results of the tuned models indicate that RF performs better (accuracy=91%) than AdaBoost (accuracy=72%). In conclusion, RF, as a bagging ensemble learning technique, effectively models the relationship between parenting styles and anti-social behavior. Future studies are recommended to gather more training data and develop an early detection system for use by child psychologists in the field.Contemporary society is grappling with issues of anti-social behavior in children and adolescents, one of which is influenced by parenting styles. This research employs machine learning technology, particularly ensemble learning, to model the relationship between parenting styles and anti-social behavior. The research data is derived from previous studies encompassing parenting style parameters and anti-social behavior. This data is preprocessed and feature-engineered, then used in modelling through the Random Forest (RF) and Adaptive Boost (AdaBoost) methods. Modelling is conducted in two phases: vanilla modelling and hyperparameter tuning. The results of the tuned models indicate that RF performs better (accuracy=91%) than AdaBoost (accuracy=72%). In conclusion, RF, as a bagging ensemble learning technique, effectively models the relationship between parenting styles and anti-social behavior. Future studies are recommended to gather more training data and develop an early detection system for use by child psychologists in the field

    The clinical effectiveness of individual behaviour change interventions to reduce risky sexual behaviour after a negative human immunodeficiency virus test in men who have sex with men: systematic and realist reviews and intervention development

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    Background: Men who have sex with men (MSM) experience significant inequalities in health and well-being. They are the group in the UK at the highest risk of acquiring a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Guidance relating to both HIV infection prevention, in general, and individual-level behaviour change interventions, in particular, is very limited. Objectives: To conduct an evidence synthesis of the clinical effectiveness of behaviour change interventions to reduce risky sexual behaviour among MSM after a negative HIV infection test. To identify effective components within interventions in reducing HIV risk-related behaviours and develop a candidate intervention. To host expert events addressing the implementation and optimisation of a candidate intervention. Data sources: All major electronic databases (British Education Index, BioMed Central, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, EMBASE, Educational Resource Index and Abstracts, Health and Medical Complete, MEDLINE, PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO, PubMed and Social Science Citation Index) were searched between January 2000 and December 2014. Review methods: A systematic review of the clinical effectiveness of individual behaviour change interventions was conducted. Interventions were examined using the behaviour change technique (BCT) taxonomy, theory coding assessment, mode of delivery and proximity to HIV infection testing. Data were summarised in narrative review and, when appropriate, meta-analysis was carried out. Supplemental analyses for the development of the candidate intervention focused on post hoc realist review method, the assessment of the sequential delivery and content of intervention components, and the social and historical context of primary studies. Expert panels reviewed the candidate intervention for issues of implementation and optimisation. Results: Overall, trials included in this review (n = 10) demonstrated that individual-level behaviour change interventions are effective in reducing key HIV infection risk-related behaviours. However, there was considerable clinical and methodological heterogeneity among the trials. Exploratory meta-analysis showed a statistically significant reduction in behaviours associated with high risk of HIV transmission (risk ratio 0.75, 95% confidence interval 0.62 to 0.91). Additional stratified analyses suggested that effectiveness may be enhanced through face-to-face contact immediately after testing, and that theory-based content and BCTs drawn from ‘goals and planning’ and ‘identity’ groups are important. All evidence collated in the review was synthesised to develop a candidate intervention. Experts highlighted overall acceptability of the intervention and outlined key ways that the candidate intervention could be optimised to enhance UK implementation. Limitations: There was a limited number of primary studies. All were from outside the UK and were subject to considerable clinical, methodological and statistical heterogeneity. The findings of the meta-analysis must therefore be treated with caution. The lack of detailed intervention manuals limited the assessment of intervention content, delivery and fidelity. Conclusions: Evidence regarding the effectiveness of behaviour change interventions suggests that they are effective in changing behaviour associated with HIV transmission. Exploratory stratified meta-analyses suggested that interventions should be delivered face to face and immediately after testing. There are uncertainties around the generalisability of these findings to the UK setting. However, UK experts found the intervention acceptable and provided ways of optimising the candidate intervention. Future work: There is a need for well-designed, UK-based trials of individual behaviour change interventions that clearly articulate intervention content and demonstrate intervention fidelity
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