A Community-Based Intervention Designed to Increase Preventive Health Care Seeking Among Adolescents: The Gonorrhea Community Action Project

Objectives. We evaluated the effectiveness of an intervention designed to increase preventive health care seeking among adolescents. Methods. Adolescents and young adults aged 12 to 21 years, recruited from community-based organizations in 2 different communities, were randomized into either a 3-session intervention or a control condition. We estimated outcomes from 3-month follow-up data using logistic and ordinary least squares regression. Results. Female intervention participants were significantly more likely than female control participants to have scheduled a health care appointment (odds ratio [OR]=3.04), undergone a checkup (OR=2.87), and discussed with friends or family members the importance of undergoing a checkup (OR=4.5). There were no differences between male intervention and male control participants in terms of outcomes. Conclusions. This theory-driven, community-based group intervention significantly increased preventive health care seeking among female adolescents. Further research is needed, however, to identify interventions that will produce successful outcomes among male adolescents

Health through three life stages: A longitudinal study of urban black adolescents

This is a study of life stage coherence and change in perceived health status and morbidity reports over a 15 year interval bounding adolescence. Data were obtained through personal home interviews with a representative sample (N = 426) of urban black youths who were interviewed at three successive life stages: first when they were adolescents ages 12-17, 6-8 years later when they were ages 18-23, and 7-8 years after that when they were ages 26-31. Results showed that health decline was neither continuous nor progressive over the three life stages. Instead, a dramatic increase in morbidity reports occurring between adolescent and post adolescent measurement was succeeded by stabilization in the following 7 year interval. One interpretation of these findings is that they reflect the stressfulness of the adolescent life stage in the urban black youth cohort. The congruence of this interpretation with Mechanic and Angel's theory of differential health synchrony over the life course and also with Antonovsky's theory of sense of coherence in explaining variations in perceived health is discussed. The study, finally, pointed up a serious methodological impediment to attempting comparative life span health studies such as this, namely, the difficulty in arriving at equivalently comprehensive and sensitive health symptom indicators at different life stages.black youth adolescent health gender perceived health change utilization of health services

Computer Access and Internet Use Among Urban Youths

This report presents data on computer access, Internet use, and factors associated with health information seeking on the Internet among a sample of youths aged 15 to 30 years in New York City. Findings from street intercept surveys indicate substantial computer access at home (62%) and frequent (everyday or a few times a week) Internet use (66%). Fifty-five percent of the sample reported seeking health information on the Internet, which was associated with positive beliefs about getting a health checkup and frequent Internet use

A Community-Based Intervention Designed to Increase Preventive Health Care Seeking Among Adolescents: The Gonorrhea Community Action Project

Objectives. We evaluated the effectiveness of an intervention designed to increase preventive health care seeking among adolescents. Methods. Adolescents and young adults aged 12 to 21 years, recruited from community-based organizations in 2 different communities, were randomized into either a 3-session intervention or a control condition. We estimated outcomes from 3-month follow-up data using logistic and ordinary least squares regression. Results. Female intervention participants were significantly more likely than female control participants to have scheduled a health care appointment (odds ratio [OR]=3.04), undergone a checkup (OR=2.87), and discussed with friends or family members the importance of undergoing a checkup (OR=4.5). There were no differences between male intervention and male control participants in terms of outcomes. Conclusions. This theory-driven, community-based group intervention significantly increased preventive health care seeking among female adolescents. Further research is needed, however, to identify interventions that will produce successful outcomes among male adolescents