Online Peer Influence on IUD Behaviors and Attitudes
| Status: | Completed |
|---|---|
| Conditions: | Contraception, Contraception |
| Therapuetic Areas: | Reproductive |
| Healthy: | No |
| Age Range: | 18 - 45 |
| Updated: | 3/21/2019 |
| Start Date: | October 2015 |
| End Date: | July 2016 |
Peer Influence on Intrauterine Contraceptive Behavior and Attitudes in an Online Social Community
This study will look at women's social communication about IUDs (intrauterine devices) and
their attitudes and behavior related to IUD use. The researchers will design an online
community where women can talk to each other about their experiences with birth control. We
will examine whether social exposure to IUD users in this setting is associated with change
in attitudes and behavior among women who have never had an IUD.
their attitudes and behavior related to IUD use. The researchers will design an online
community where women can talk to each other about their experiences with birth control. We
will examine whether social exposure to IUD users in this setting is associated with change
in attitudes and behavior among women who have never had an IUD.
Study Design:
University of Pennsylvania researchers will conduct a randomized controlled trial to examine
whether there is an association between social exposure to women who use intrauterine
contraception (IUC) as their method of birth control and change in IUC attitudes and behavior
among women who have never used IUC. The intervention used to test this association will be
an online social community, designed by the researchers, in which women will be invited to
share their personal experiences with birth control methods they have used. Non-IUC user
participants will be randomized to either the intervention or control conditions. The
intervention condition will consist of small online social groups in which non-IUC user
participants will interact with IUC user participants. The control condition will consist of
online groups identical to intervention groups, except that no IUC user participants will be
in these groups. Participants will interact within small groups for twelve days each. Non-IUC
user participants will complete surveys before and after the twelve-day intervention that
measure IUC attitudes and behavior. UCSF researchers will conduct analysis on deidentified
data obtained from this study.
Hypothesis:
It is hypothesized that among women who have never used IUC, there is an association between
social exposure to IUC users and change in attitudes and behavior related to IUC use. It is
also hypothesized that exposure to IUC users is associated with positive change in knowledge
of IUC use and efficacy and positive change in IUC-related information-seeking.
Aims:
The study has three aims:
Aim 1: To determine whether exposure to IUC users in an online community is associated with
change in women's attitudes and behavior related to IUC use.
Aim 2: To determine whether an association between exposure to IUC users and change in
women's IUC attitudes and behavior varies by women's race/ethnicity.
Aim 3: To observe the content of women's interactions about IUC and other birth control
methods in an online social community.
Data analysis:
In order to address Aim 1, we will first conduct univariate analysis and obtain descriptive
statistics (including mean, median, mode, variance, and range) on demographic characteristics
and IUC attitudes and behaviors among participants in the intervention and control groups. In
bivariate analysis, we will use chi-square tests to examine the relationship between study
condition and IUC-related behaviors, as measured on the post-survey. We will use t-tests to
examine relationships between condition and post-survey IUC attitudes, and matched t-tests to
examine the relationships between conditions and changes in IUC attitudes. If data on
attitudes is not normally distributed, we will use the appropriate non-parametric tests
instead of t-tests.
We will conduct multivariate analyses for those outcomes associated with intervention
condition in bivariate tests. Multivariate analysis for Aim 1 will include mixed-effects
regression to examine associations at both the individual and cluster levels. We will use
multiple linear regression for continuous outcomes and multiple logistic regression for
binary outcomes. Regression models will test associations between intervention and control
conditions and outcome IUC attitude and behavior variables. We will obtain regression
coefficients from linear regression models and odds ratios from logistic regression models in
order to describe the associations between study arms and outcomes.
In order to address Aim 2, we will examine bivariate relationships between the racial/ethnic
categories of participants and outcome attitude and behavior variables, using chi-square
tests for binary outcomes and t-tests or appropriate non-parametric tests for continuous
outcomes. We will use multiple linear and/or logistic regression to test possible
associations between race/ethnicity and outcome variables, controlling for other background
variables. Resulting regression coefficients and odds ratios will describe whether the effect
of the intervention was greater for women in some racial/ethnic groups as compared to others.
In order to address Aim 3, we will perform qualitative analysis of conversations that take
place among group members in the online social groups, using grounded theory methodology. We
will examine qualitative data from both the intervention and control groups.
Privacy:
Recruitment and participation in the study will occur online. Participants will only interact
with the study from remote locations, so they will not be seen entering or leaving any
location affiliated with the study, or interacting with any study personnel. Once registered
in the study, participants will only be contacted via secure email that does not indicate the
nature of the study in the subject line. The study website will be password-protected to
prohibit access to Internet users not participating in the study. Participants' screen names
on the site will not contain their real names, and they will not be identifiable to other
study participants.
There is minimal risk of privacy loss. Study participants may not want others to know about
their interest in or use of birth control, and may have feelings of embarrassment or shame in
the event of a loss of study privacy. Additionally, birth control use may be a sensitive
topic in the personal relationships of some study participants, and a loss of privacy could
lead to strain or conflict in these personal relationships.
Confidentiality:
Data collected by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania will be stored on a secure
network at their site. Only University of Pennsylvania study staff will have access to data
on this network. University of PEnnsylvania staff will remove all identifiers from the data
and export the data to researchers at UCSF via secure email. Deidentified data will be stored
at on a secure UCSF server. Only the study staff will have access to the data, and we will
not have access to the key.
University of Pennsylvania researchers will conduct a randomized controlled trial to examine
whether there is an association between social exposure to women who use intrauterine
contraception (IUC) as their method of birth control and change in IUC attitudes and behavior
among women who have never used IUC. The intervention used to test this association will be
an online social community, designed by the researchers, in which women will be invited to
share their personal experiences with birth control methods they have used. Non-IUC user
participants will be randomized to either the intervention or control conditions. The
intervention condition will consist of small online social groups in which non-IUC user
participants will interact with IUC user participants. The control condition will consist of
online groups identical to intervention groups, except that no IUC user participants will be
in these groups. Participants will interact within small groups for twelve days each. Non-IUC
user participants will complete surveys before and after the twelve-day intervention that
measure IUC attitudes and behavior. UCSF researchers will conduct analysis on deidentified
data obtained from this study.
Hypothesis:
It is hypothesized that among women who have never used IUC, there is an association between
social exposure to IUC users and change in attitudes and behavior related to IUC use. It is
also hypothesized that exposure to IUC users is associated with positive change in knowledge
of IUC use and efficacy and positive change in IUC-related information-seeking.
Aims:
The study has three aims:
Aim 1: To determine whether exposure to IUC users in an online community is associated with
change in women's attitudes and behavior related to IUC use.
Aim 2: To determine whether an association between exposure to IUC users and change in
women's IUC attitudes and behavior varies by women's race/ethnicity.
Aim 3: To observe the content of women's interactions about IUC and other birth control
methods in an online social community.
Data analysis:
In order to address Aim 1, we will first conduct univariate analysis and obtain descriptive
statistics (including mean, median, mode, variance, and range) on demographic characteristics
and IUC attitudes and behaviors among participants in the intervention and control groups. In
bivariate analysis, we will use chi-square tests to examine the relationship between study
condition and IUC-related behaviors, as measured on the post-survey. We will use t-tests to
examine relationships between condition and post-survey IUC attitudes, and matched t-tests to
examine the relationships between conditions and changes in IUC attitudes. If data on
attitudes is not normally distributed, we will use the appropriate non-parametric tests
instead of t-tests.
We will conduct multivariate analyses for those outcomes associated with intervention
condition in bivariate tests. Multivariate analysis for Aim 1 will include mixed-effects
regression to examine associations at both the individual and cluster levels. We will use
multiple linear regression for continuous outcomes and multiple logistic regression for
binary outcomes. Regression models will test associations between intervention and control
conditions and outcome IUC attitude and behavior variables. We will obtain regression
coefficients from linear regression models and odds ratios from logistic regression models in
order to describe the associations between study arms and outcomes.
In order to address Aim 2, we will examine bivariate relationships between the racial/ethnic
categories of participants and outcome attitude and behavior variables, using chi-square
tests for binary outcomes and t-tests or appropriate non-parametric tests for continuous
outcomes. We will use multiple linear and/or logistic regression to test possible
associations between race/ethnicity and outcome variables, controlling for other background
variables. Resulting regression coefficients and odds ratios will describe whether the effect
of the intervention was greater for women in some racial/ethnic groups as compared to others.
In order to address Aim 3, we will perform qualitative analysis of conversations that take
place among group members in the online social groups, using grounded theory methodology. We
will examine qualitative data from both the intervention and control groups.
Privacy:
Recruitment and participation in the study will occur online. Participants will only interact
with the study from remote locations, so they will not be seen entering or leaving any
location affiliated with the study, or interacting with any study personnel. Once registered
in the study, participants will only be contacted via secure email that does not indicate the
nature of the study in the subject line. The study website will be password-protected to
prohibit access to Internet users not participating in the study. Participants' screen names
on the site will not contain their real names, and they will not be identifiable to other
study participants.
There is minimal risk of privacy loss. Study participants may not want others to know about
their interest in or use of birth control, and may have feelings of embarrassment or shame in
the event of a loss of study privacy. Additionally, birth control use may be a sensitive
topic in the personal relationships of some study participants, and a loss of privacy could
lead to strain or conflict in these personal relationships.
Confidentiality:
Data collected by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania will be stored on a secure
network at their site. Only University of Pennsylvania study staff will have access to data
on this network. University of PEnnsylvania staff will remove all identifiers from the data
and export the data to researchers at UCSF via secure email. Deidentified data will be stored
at on a secure UCSF server. Only the study staff will have access to the data, and we will
not have access to the key.
Inclusion Criteria:
Non-IUC users:
- Women
- Age 18 - 45
- Sexually active with men
- Do not want to get pregnant in the next year
- Want to learn more about different birth control methods
IUC users
- Women
- Age 18-45
- Currently uses IUC (Paragard, Mirena, or Skyla)
Exclusion Criteria:
Non-IUC users
- Previous IUC use
- Not able to become pregnant
IUC users
-Using IUC for other reason, and not pregnancy prevention
We found this trial at
1
site
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
Principal Investigator: Damon Centola, PhD
Phone: 215-898-7954
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