Alone time with healthcare providers is vital for adolescents, as recommended by several professional organizations, as it enhances health service utilization, empowers adolescents to manage their health, and facilitates discussions on sensitive issues. Despite its importance, only 40% of adolescents have private conversations with clinicians during visits. mHealth technology offers a promising solution for effective interventions to promote alone time with providers for adolescents, parents, and healthcare providers. This pilot study aims to evaluate the preliminary efficacy of a technology-based intervention designed to increase alone time with providers during well-adolescent visits (WAVs) and its impact on trustworthiness, parent-adolescent communication, sexual risk communication, parental monitoring, and parental support. After providing consent, participants accessed a study website to complete a baseline survey, interact with four modules, and complete a post-test survey one month after WAVs. Surveys assessed alone time, trustworthiness, parent-adolescent communication, sexual risk communication, parental monitoring, and parental support.
Background: Alone time with healthcare providers is critical for adolescents; several professional organizations recommend it. Alone time with providers promotes better utilization of health services, empowers adolescents to manage their health, and facilitates discussions on sensitive issues. However, only 40% of adolescents have private conversations with clinicians during visits. The advancement mHealth technology provides an excellent opportunity to deliver effective interventions to promote adolescent/provider alone time with adolescents, parents, and providers. Objective: This pilot study aims to explore 1) the preliminary efficacy of a technology-based intervention designed to increase Alone time with providers during well-adolescent visits (WAVs) and 2) its impact on trustworthiness, parent-adolescent communication, sexual risk communication, parental monitoring, and parental support before and after the intervention. Methods: A pre and post test design is utilized. After obtaining consent, participants accessed a study website to complete a baseline survey, interact with four modules, and complete a post-test survey one month after WAVs. Participants completed surveys assessing alone time, trustworthiness, parent-adolescent communication, sexual risk communication, parental monitoring, and parental support. Mixed model analysis and effect sizes for pre- and post-intervention outcomes were employed.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
60
The four online modules included: General Communication, Talking about Relationships and Sexual Health, Parental Monitoring, and Check-up and Check-in (content focused on the importance of alone time). Modules were in English, Chinese, or Spanish
Department of Family Health care Nursing
San Francisco, California, United States
Young Adult Health Care Survey (YAHCS) for Alone time
Whether the adolescent had alone time with a healthcare provider (one-on-one communication without a parent) during the last well-adolescent visits (WAVs)
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of intervention at 6 months
Trustworthiness survey
The construct of perceived trustworthiness was assessed using three items for adolescents and their mothers. Three items include: I can trust my mother/adolescent when we talk, b) my mother /adolescent keeps her promises to me, and c) my mother/adolescent is honest with me. Score ranges from 1 to 5, with a higher score indicating a higher level of trust.
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of intervention at 6 months
Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale (PACS)
A survey consists of 20 items that measure the quality of communication between adolescents and their parents. The score ranges from 1 to 5. Higher scores represent better parent-adolescent communication.
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of intervention at 6 months
Parent-adolescent sexual risk communication scale (PTSRC-III):
an 8-item scale used to assess the extent of sexual risk communication between adolescents and their parents. The scores range from 1 to 5 with a high score indicating a better parent-teen sexual risk communication. Higher values indicate more supportive parenting.
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of intervention at 6 months
Supportive parenting survey
Mothers reported how often they support their child (three items; 4-point Likert scale; Never to Always).
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of intervention at 6 months
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