PREVIEW NOTES

Website for STD/HIV/AIDS Prevention for Catholic Teenagers: a Validation Study

Adriana Gomes Nogueira Ferreira¹, Patrícia Neyva Costa da Pinheiro¹

¹Federal University of Ceará

ABSTRACT
This is a doctoral thesis project, developed as part of the Postgraduate Course in Nursing at the Federal University of Ceará.
Aim: Developing a website with information regarding adolescence sexuality and STD/HIV/AIDS prevention; validating the content of the website with information and advice from specialists on how to prevent STD/AIDS infection during adolescence and; validating the content of the website with teenagers in terms of information regarding STD/AIDS during adolescence.
Method: A quantitative, validation design that will be divided into three stages: website development, content validation by experts and content validation by teenagers. The analysis will take place at the end of each stage. It is hoped that this data will demonstrate how this website on STD/AIDS prevention is an important tool for promoting health education, and contributes to reflection on the issue, to improve understanding and develop a critical and independent conception of sexuality, faith and health.
Descriptors: Health Education; Nursing; Internet; Adolescent; Sexually Transmitted Diseases.

SITUATION PROBLEM AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE

The promotion of STD/AIDS prevention methods abounds the issue of sexuality, and should be initially encouraged by families, which have a central role in a teenager’s life, followed by school and healthcare services or staff. In terms of moral ethics, churches should be additional venues for engaging in the issues of sexuality, but nevertheless, they still remain silent on the issue⁽¹⁾.

Teenagers’ participation in religious groups can make them vulnerable to AIDS/STDs. This is because, even though they base their lifestyles on beliefs such as chastity, faithfulness, and delaying sexual relations, they still have little or no knowledge about safe sex practices, which is a major cause for concern. The opinions of teenagers regarding the STD/AIDS prevention methods they learn in school are limited to condom use, which many feel encourages early sexual initiation, and represents a lack of respect for themselves, their peers and God⁽²⁾.

Since the internet is an important tool for socializing, especially among teenagers, it is necessary to enlarge its scope and impact, as well as optimize its functionality, with the aim of promoting health in this new scenario. Likewise, it is also important to develop educational strategies that promote dialogue and critical thinking so that, as teenagers gain independence, they also make choices conscientiously⁽³⁾. Furthermore, it is important to promote educational technology that prompts teenagers to reflect on STD/AIDS prevention, not only as a matter of science, but also one of faith, and especially target those who see themselves as separated from a world in which AIDS is a reality.

HYPOTHESIS

Setting up a website focused on STD/AIDS prevention that targets teenage members of religious groups will be an important strategy for promoting health education, and contribute to critical reflection on the issue, to facilitate understanding and develop a critical and independent approach towards sexuality, faith and health.

AIMS

Developing a website with information geared towards sexuality and the prevention of STDs/HIV/AIDS during adolescence;
Validating the contents of the website with information geared towards the prevention of STD/AIDS in adolescence with the help of experts;
Validating the contents of the website with information geared towards the prevention of STD/AIDS in adolescence with the help of teenagers.

METHOD

Research and methodological development, validated by appearance and content, and divided into three stages: website development, content validation by experts and content validation by teenagers. This will be done in the city of Fortaleza-CE, in the Parish of Our Lady of Fatima during 2012-2013, using focus groups and tools for the website validation.

The research population will be made up of experts and teenagers, taking in account the pre-determined criteria for each stage. Stage 1: teenagers aged between 14 and 20 years, involved in church activities and with a basic knowledge of the internet. Any individuals who do not participate in all sessions of the focus group will be excluded. For stage 3: teenagers aged between 10 and 19 years, who have mastered internet use, who call themselves Catholics (low stratum) and members of youth groups (high stratum).

Data analysis will be done at the end of every stage of the study. For the validation stage, the data will be analyzed using SPSS software (Version 17.0 for Windows), proceeding from the agreement analysis between the teenagers and specialists form stages 2 and 3, respectively, by using Pearson’s linear correlation and assemblage analysis.
Descriptive statistical analysis will be used when the variable percentages are individually calculated, as well as the average, median, and maximum central tendency of the variables studied. Additional analysis will be based on literature pertinent to the topic.

REFERENCES

1. Ferreira AGN. Círculo de Cultura com adolescentes pertencentes a grupos religiosos e a prevenção do HIV/AIDS [ dissertação ]. Fortaleza: Universidade Federal do Ceará; 2010.

2. Ferreira AGN, Vieira NFC, Pinheiro PNC. What adolescents think of religious groups on sexuality: action research. Online braz j nurs [ Internet ]. 2010 [ cited 2013 Feb 04 ]; 9(2):[ about 6 p. ]. Available from: http://www.objnursing.uff.br/index.php/nursing/article/view/j.1676-4285.2010.2955.

3. Gold J, Pedrana A, Sacks-Davis R, Hellard M, Chang S, Howard S, et al. A systematic examination of the use of Online social networking sites for sexual health promotion. BMC Public Health. 2011; 11(583): [ about 8 p. ].  

PROJECT INFORMATION
Doctorate Project from the Nursing Postgraduate Course at the Federal University of Ceará and approved on 26/04/12 by a panel consisting of: Patrícia Neyva da Costa Pinheiro (Mentor); Andrea Soares Rocha da Silva (Member); Marcos Venícios de Oliveira Lopes (Member) and Lorena Barbosa Ximenes (Member).

CEP APPROVAL
Approval date 16/10/12 in compliance with CAAE 05941212.1.0000.5054.

SPONSORSHIP OF THE ARTICLE
Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (National Counsel for Scientific Development and Technology), in compliance with Edital Universal of 2011 number: 482033/2011-8.

AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS
- Concept and design: Adriana Gomes Nogueira Ferreira  and Patrícia Neyva da Costa Pinheiro.
- Article: Adriana Gomes Nogueira Ferreira
- Article Editor: Patrícia Neyva da Costa Pinheiro
- Final Article Editor: Adriana Gomes Nogueira Ferreira and Patrícia Neyva da Costa Pinheiro.

Received: 17/02/2013
Revised: 17/06/2013
Approved: 18/06/2013