Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #116851

Carolyn T. Halpern, PhD, School of Public Health, Dept. of Maternal & Child Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 401 Rosenau Hall, 4th Floor, Campus Box 7445, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7445, 919-966-6873, carolyn_halpern@unc.edu and Ellen M. H. Mitchell, PhD, Research & Evaluation Unit, Ipas, 300 Market Street, Suite 200, Chapel Hill, NC 27516.

Objectives: The Internet holds great potential for global education in reproductive health. This study evaluates changes in reproductive health knowledge and attitudes among adolescents in Rio de Janeiro who participated in a web-based educational intervention.

Methods: Approximately 1400 high school students participated in the Web or Control condition of a 2-year longitudinal study. Students in Web schools completed 5 Web-based questionnaire modules, and in return, had access to the Web for at least 30 minutes after completing each module. The project's Web portal linked to Web reproductive health sites and to age-appropriate content that reflected topics queried in the Web questionnaire modules. Students in Control schools completed parallel paper modules at the beginning and end of the study, at about the same time that Web-students were completing their Web-based modules. Logistic and OLS regression were used to evaluate changes in perceptions about barriers to condom use and efficacy of condoms for pregnancy and STD prevention, and knowledge about emergency contraception (EC) and abortion attributable to the web intervention, controlling for attitudes and knowledge at study entry.

Results: Compared to Controls, Web students were significantly less likely to perceive barriers to condom use and had better knowledge about abortion legislation post-intervention. However, Control students had significantly greater improvements in knowledge about EC. No differences appeared for condom utility.

Discussion: Findings are discussed relative to results from a parallel intervention in Kenya, and in terms of the utility of Web-based reproductive health education in urban settings of varying infrastructure,

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this paper presentation the participant will be able to

• Describe reproductive health needs among adolescents in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
• Describe the demonstrated educational utility of a web-based educational intervention.
• Evaluate the applicability of web-based interventions in locations of varying infrastructure.

Keywords: Adolescent Health, Internet

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.