NCT03685643

Study Proposal for Web Based Intervention to Promote the Safe Usage of Dating Applications in Young Adults

Study Protocol for a Peer-led Web-based Intervention to Promote Safe Usage of Dating Applications Amongst Young Adults: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 578 (actual)
• Sponsor: The University of Hong Kong · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 17 Years – 27 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This study will evaluate the effectiveness of a program in promoting the safe usage of dating applications amongst young adults in Hong Kong. One group will receive the program regarding dating applications and the other group will receive a placebo program regarding health and exercise.

Detailed description

Dating applications are a popular platform to meet new people; however, they have been associated with risks such as unsafe sexual behavior and privacy concerns in young adults. The study design is an open-labeled cluster randomized controlled trial with an intervention and a placebo control arm. The intervention group will receive a web-based intervention developed through focus group discussions, crowdsourcing contest, and a Peer-Vetted Creative Production (PVCP) workshop comprising of four short videos, a risk assessment tool, and a scenario game. The control group will receive a web-based resource with similar multimedia elements on health and exercise. Based on the Information, Motivation, and Behavioral Skills (IMB) Model, the primary outcome of this study is self-efficacy in using dating applications measured by the General Self Efficacy Scale. Secondary outcomes include change in attitudes regarding risk perception measured by the Risk Propensity Scale and depression symptoms.

Conditions

• Sex, Unsafe
• Adolescent Behavior
• Behavior, Sex

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Intervention - Dating application topic	The intervention will consist of multimedia content to promote the safe usage of dating applications and raise awareness of the risks associated with dating application usage. The intervention will be delivered one-time in a classroom setting.
BEHAVIORAL	Control - Health and exercise topic	The placebo control will consist of multimedia content regarding exercise and healthy living. It will be delivered once-time in a classroom setting.

Timeline

• Start date: 2018-09-07
• Primary completion: 2019-08-07
• Completion: 2019-08-07
• First posted: 2018-09-26
• Last updated: 2020-04-28
• Results posted: 2020-04-28

Locations

2 sites across 1 country: Hong Kong