Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2018 Apr;66(3):165-177.
doi: 10.1080/07448481.2017.1393822. Epub 2018 Jan 9.

Examining the efficacy of an mHealth media literacy education program for sexual health promotion in older adolescents attending community college

Tracy Marie Scull  1 , Janis Beth Kupersmidt  1 , Christina Valerie Malik  1 , Elyse Mallory Keefe  1
Affiliations

Examining the efficacy of an mHealth media literacy education program for sexual health promotion in older adolescents attending community college

Tracy Marie Scull et al. J Am Coll Health. 2018 Apr.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the feasibility of a mobile health (mHealth), media literacy education program, Media Aware, for improving sexual health outcomes in older adolescent community college students.

Participants: 184 community college students (ages 18-19) participated in the study from April-December 2015.

Methods: Eight community college campuses were randomly assigned to either the intervention or a wait-list control group. Student participants from each campus completed web-based pretest and posttest questionnaires. Intervention group students received Media Aware in between questionnaires.

Results: Several intervention effects of the Media Aware program were significant, including reducing older adolescents' self-reported risky sexual behaviors; positively affecting knowledge, attitudes, normative beliefs, and intentions related to sexual health; and increasing media skepticism. Some gender differences in the findings were revealed.

Conclusions: The results from this study suggest that Media Aware is a promising means of delivering comprehensive sexual health education to older adolescents attending community college.

Keywords: Community college; mHealth; media literacy; sexual health.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure of conflicts: All authors have some financial interest in the prevention program.

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Kost K, Henshaw S, Carlin L. U.S. Teenage Pregnancies, Births and Abortions: National and State Trends and Trends by Race and Ethnicity. 2010 http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/USTPtrends.pdf.
    1. Satterwhite CL, Torrone E, Meites E, et al. Sexually transmitted infections among US women and men: Prevalence and incidence estimates, 2008. Sex Transm Dis. 2013;40(3):187–193. doi: 10.1097/OLQ.0b013e318286bb53. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Kaye K, Suellentrop K, Sloup C. The Fog Zone: How Misperceptions, Magical Thinking, and Ambivalence Put Young Adults at Risk for Unplanned Pregnancy. Washington, D.C.: The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy; 2009.
    1. Caldeira KM, Arria AM, Zarate EM, Vincent KB, Wish ED, O’Grady KE. Prospective associations between alcohol and drug consumption and risky sex among female college students. J Alcohol Drug Educ. 2009;53(2):71–92. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Lindberg LD, Maddow-Zimet I, Boonstra H. Changes in adolescents’ receipt of sex education, 2006–2013. J Adolesc Heal. 2016;58(6):621–627. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources