An efficacious ehealth application of at-risk adolescents
Marguerita Lightfoot, UCLA Department of Psychiatry Gabriel Stover, UCLA Department of Psychiatry Victor LaCour, USC Viterbi School of Engineering

Objectives: Adolescents are at substantial risk for contracting HIV because they engage in unprotected sexual behavior and their sexual activity is often associated with substance use. We tested the hypothesis that a computerized intervention would be as efficacious as an in-person, small-group intervention in reducing sexual risk behaviors with these youth. Methods. An intervention with demonstrated efficacy is the National Institutes on Health’s Project LIGHT, a small-group, cognitive-behavioral intervention. A computerized version of Project LIGHT was developed. Students aged 14 – 18 years attending three alternative education schools were recruited and assessed at baseline and three months. We examined the sexual behavior of these high-risk adolescents in three intervention conditions: 1) computer, 2) small-group, and 3) control. Results. Adolescents in the computer-condition were less likely to engage in sexual activity compared to those in the small-group condition over time. Adolescents in the computer and small-group conditions had fewer sex partners than those in the control condition over time. While not significant, the computer condition reported reductions in the percentage of unprotected sex whereas the control and small-group conditions reported increases in unprotected sex. Conclusions. For some youth, computers are a viable way to deliver prevention information and promote skill development.