Study Details
DiClemente, R. J., Wingood, G. M., Rose, E. S., Sales, J. M., Lang, D. L., Caliendo, A. M., et al. (2009). Efficacy of sexually transmitted Disease/Human immunodeficiency virus sexual risk-reduction intervention for african american adolescent females seeking sexual health services: A randomized controlled trial. Archives of Pediatrics Adolescent Medicine, 163(12), 1112-1121.
Sales, J. M., Lang, D. L., DiClemente, R. J., Latham, T. P., Wingood, G. M., Hardin, J. W., Rose, E. S. (2012). The mediating role of partner communication frequency on condom use among African American adolescent females participating in an HIV prevention intervention. Health Psychology, 31(1), 63-69.
HORIZONS
Program Information
Evaluation Setting
Study Sample
Research Design
715
2
12
Study Findings
The program's evidence of effectiveness was first established in a randomized controlled trial involving sexually active African American females recruited from three health clinics in Atlanta, Georgia. Participants were randomly assigned either to a treatment group that received the HORIZONS program or to a control group that received the current standard of care, consisting of a one-hour STD/HIV prevention group session. Surveys were administered before the program began (baseline) and at six and 12 months after completion of the program. Data collection also included testing for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomonas.
The study found that both 12 months after the program ended, and when averaging data across the two follow-up periods, youth participating in the program reported a significantly higher proportion of condom-protected sex acts, and were significantly more likely to report consistent condom use and condom use at their last sexual encounter. The study also found that youth in the treatment group were significantly less likely to test positive for chlamydia 12 months after the program ended. The study found no statistically significant impacts on gonorrhea or trichomonas infection. For the 6-month follow-up survey, the study found that youth participating in the program reported a significantly higher proportion of condom-protected sex acts in the 14 days and 60 days preceding the survey. The study found no statistically significant impacts on consistent condom use or condom use at last sexual encounter.
The study also examined program impacts on measures of STD/HIV knowledge, condom self-efficacy, partner communication, and frequency of douching. Findings for these outcomes were not considered for the review because they fell outside the scope of the review.
NA = Not available. This means the authors did not report the information in the manuscripts associated with the studies we reviewed.
a This information was not available whenever authors did not report information for the treatment and comparison groups separately on outcome means, standard deviations, and/or sample sizes.
b Authors reported that the program effect (impact) estimate is statistically significant with a p-value of less than 0.05 based on a two-tailed test.
c For some outcomes, having less of that outcome is favorable. In those cases, an effect with a negative sign is favorable to the treatment group (that is, the treatment group had a more favorable outcome than the comparison group, on average).
d An effect shows credibly estimated, statistically significant evidence whenever it has a p-value of less than 0.05 based on a two-tailed test, includes the appropriate adjustment for clustering (if applicable), and it is not based on an endogenous subgroup.
Language directly from the program model developer or authors.