Children's Hospital Los Angeles and ETR will implement and test the effectiveness of a pregnancy prevention intervention, My Future Self, targeting youth ages 16-19 in Los Angeles and San Diego Counties who, for a variety of reasons, are receiving education or training in non-traditional settings. These youth typically experience a combination of needs related to unstable or no housing, extreme poverty, involvement with child welfare or juvenile justice, historical trauma, and/or learning differences. My Future Self is a 5 week program consisting of 5 group sessions. Our study will enroll up to 704 highly mobile youth from various sites in Los Angeles and San Diego. Youth will be randomized to receive the My Future Self intervention in conjunction with their regular services or just their regular services. All youth enrolled will complete baseline, 6 month and 12 month surveys.
Children's Hospital Los Angeles and ETR will implement and test the effectiveness of a pregnancy prevention intervention, My Future Self, targeting youth ages 16-19 in Los Angeles and San Diego Counties who, for a variety of reasons, are receiving education or training in non-traditional settings. These youth typically experience a combination of needs related to unstable or no housing, extreme poverty, involvement with child welfare or juvenile justice, historical trauma, and/or learning differences. Currently, there are a few evidence-based interventions that focus on sub populations of these youth in alternative schools (All4You!, All4You2!), those at risk for dropping out of school (Crossroads/TCAP), and those coming from out of home care settings (Power Through Choices). However additional interventions are needed as these youth represent a vulnerable population with unique needs and barriers to pregnancy prevention requiring approaches that are tailored to nontraditional educational settings, familial circumstances, developmental trajectory, and that are synergistic with the generational reliance on technology.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
704
My Future Self is based upon the Theory of Possible Selves, which promotes the capacity of young people to construct goals for a successful adulthood. Youth who hold a balanced set of negative and positive images of their future have both a) a positive goal to strive for and b) awareness of the personally relevant consequences of not meeting that goal. My Future Self also includes two new supportive gaming elements that reinforce learning of relevant knowledge and skills as well as provide opportunities for youth to individually practice these skills in a personalized virtual environment. Gaming interventions using interactive technology can significantly increase self-reported abstinence and lower reports of diagnosed STD in young women, as well as reduce risky sex in high-risk young men who have sex with men. Youth will participate in these gaming elements on tablets provided by CHLA. My Future Self will be implemented as a ninety-minute small group 5-week program.
Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California, United States
RECRUITINGProtection from pregnancy in the past 90 days
Had vaginal sex in the past 90 days (% No) OR Used contraception, at least 80% of the time when having vaginal sex (% Yes)
Time frame: Past 90 days
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.