Sex, UnsafeNCT03685643
Study Proposal for Web Based Intervention to Promote the Safe Usage of Dating Applications in Young Adults
A study testing Intervention - Dating application topic in people with Sex, Unsafe and Adolescent Behavior, run by The University of Hong Kong at 2 sites in Hong Kong.
Trial 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. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 17 to 27 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Sex, Unsafe, Adolescent Behavior, Behavior, Sex
- What is being tested?
- Intervention - Dating application topic
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 578 participants
- Where
- 2 sitesHong Kong
- Study dates
- 7 Sep 2018to 7 Aug 2019
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 17 to 27 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult
Who may be able to join
- 17-27 years old
- Able to read and understand Chinese
Who cannot join
- Have a physical impediment (e.g. blindness) to prevent them from accessing the content
Trial locations and contacts
2 sites in 1 country.
Hong Kong2 sites
Caritas Institute of Community Education
Hong Kong
Vocational Training Council (VTC)
Hong Kong
About this study
Official title: Study Protocol for a Peer-led Web-based Intervention to Promote Safe Usage of Dating Applications Amongst Young Adults: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial
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.
Read the 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
- Being tested
- Intervention - Dating application topic, Control - Health and exercise topic
- Keywords
- Peer-led, dating applications, young adults, sexual behavior
- Medical subject headings
- Unsafe Sex, Adolescent Behavior, Sexual Behavior
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Intervention - Dating application topicBehavioural
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.
Control - Health and exercise topicBehavioural
The placebo control will consist of multimedia content regarding exercise and healthy living. It will be delivered once-time in a classroom setting.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention - Dating application topic | Experimental | The intervention will consist of four short videos with points of discussion, a scenario game, and a risk assessment tool regarding dating application usage. Receives: Behavioral: Intervention - Dating application topic |
| Control - Health and exercise topic | Placebo comparator | The control will consist of four short videos with discussion points and an interaction game regarding exercise and healthy living tips. Receives: Behavioral: Control - Health and exercise topic |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Self Efficacy: This Will be Measured by the General Self Efficacy Scale
The primary outcome will be the self-efficacy on the safe usage of dating. applications among young adults in Hong Kong. This will be measured by the General Self Efficacy Scale. The General Self Efficacy Scale is a 10-item scale (with 4 level Likert scale ranging from "not true at all" to "exactly true") measuring one's self-belief in completing certain tasks or overcoming difficulties. The total score is calculated by finding the sum of all items with the total score ranging between 10 and 40, with a higher score indicating a higher level of self efficacy.
Measured: 8 months
Secondary outcomes (2)
Risk Taking Tendencies Will be Measured by the The Risk Propensity Scale.
Participants' risk taking tendencies will be measured by the The Risk Propensity Scale. It is a 9-item scale measuring general risk-taking tendencies. Each item is rated on a 9 level Likert scale (ranging from "totally disagree" to "totally agree") with the final score ranging from 1-9. A higher score indicates higher risk-taking tendencies.
Measured: 8 month
Depression Symptoms Will be Measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2).
Participants' risk of depression will be measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2). This is a 2 item scale (with a 4 level Likert scale ranging from "Not at all" to "Nearly everyday") and the score ranges from 0-6, with a higher score indicating higher risk of depression.
Measured: 8 month
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted26 Sep 2018
- Study start7 Sep 2018
- Primary completion7 Aug 2019
- Study completion7 Aug 2019
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, outcome measures and adverse events reported by the sponsor.
- Publications (2)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Sex, UnsafeStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by The University of Hong KongThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 578 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- The University of Hong Kong
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- William Wong, Principal investigator, The University of Hong Kong
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03685643
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 09160275
- Other IDs
- HKUCTR-2512
- Status last verified
- Apr 2020
- First submitted
- 20 Sep 2018
- Last updated
- 28 Apr 2020
- Results posted
- Yes, on ClinicalTrials.gov
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: The data will include baseline demographics, dating application usage and behavior, and the primary and secondary outcomes.
Publications
Wong WC, Sun WH, Chia SMC, Tucker JD, Mak WP, Song L, Choi KWY, Lau STH, Wan EYF. Effectiveness of a Peer-Led Web-Based Intervention to Improve General Self-Efficacy in Using Dating Apps Among Young Adults: Randomized Clustered Trial. J Med Internet Res. 2020 Oct 30;22(10):e16378. doi: 10.2196/16378.
PubMed 33124987Lau STH, Choi KWY, Chen J, Mak WP, Yeung HKCA, Tucker J, Wong WC. Study protocol for a peer-led web-based intervention to promote safe usage of dating applications among young adults: a cluster randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2019 Feb 6;20(1):102. doi: 10.1186/s13063-018-3167-5.
PubMed 30728064
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 28 Apr 2020. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Study Protocol for a Peer-led Web-based Intervention to Promote Safe Usage of Dating Applications Amongst Young Adults: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03685643
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 09160275
- Conditions
- Sex, Unsafe, Adolescent Behavior, Behavior, Sex
- Keywords
- Peer-led, dating applications, young adults, sexual behavior
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 578 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- The University of Hong KongUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 7 Sep 2018 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 7 Aug 2019 (actual)
- Study completion
- 7 Aug 2019 (actual)
- First posted
- 26 Sep 2018 (actual)
- Results
- Posted 28 Apr 2020
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
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.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention - Dating application topic | Experimental | Behavioral: Intervention - Dating application topicThe intervention will consist of four short videos with points of discussion, a scenario game, and a risk assessment tool regarding dating application usage. |
| Control - Health and exercise topic | Placebo comparator | Behavioral: Control - Health and exercise topicThe control will consist of four short videos with discussion points and an interaction game regarding exercise and healthy living tips. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 17 to 27 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- 17-27 years old
- Able to read and understand Chinese
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Have a physical impediment (e.g. blindness) to prevent them from accessing the content
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention - Dating application topicThe 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. | Behavioural | Intervention - Dating application topic |
| Control - Health and exercise topicThe placebo control will consist of multimedia content regarding exercise and healthy living. It will be delivered once-time in a classroom setting. | Behavioural | Control - Health and exercise topic |
Primary outcome
Self Efficacy: This Will be Measured by the General Self Efficacy Scale
Time frame: 8 months
The primary outcome will be the self-efficacy on the safe usage of dating. applications among young adults in Hong Kong. This will be measured by the General Self Efficacy Scale. The General Self Efficacy Scale is a 10-item scale (with 4 level Likert scale ranging from "not true at all" to "exactly true") measuring one's self-belief in completing certain tasks or overcoming difficulties. The total score is calculated by finding the sum of all items with the total score ranging between 10 and 40, with a higher score indicating a higher level of self efficacy.
2 secondary outcomes
Risk Taking Tendencies Will be Measured by the The Risk Propensity Scale.
Time frame: 8 month
Depression Symptoms Will be Measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2).
Time frame: 8 month
Results and safety
Loading the posted results from ClinicalTrials.gov…
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 28 Apr 2020.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, baseline, all outcome measures and adverse events.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 33124987Wong WC, Sun WH, Chia SMC, Tucker JD, Mak WP, Song L, Choi KWY, Lau STH, Wan EYF. Effectiveness of a Peer-Led Web-Based Intervention to Improve General Self-Efficacy in Using Dating Apps Among Young Adults: Randomized Clustered Trial. J Med Internet Res. 2020 Oct 30;22(10):e16378. doi: 10.2196/16378.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 30728064Lau STH, Choi KWY, Chen J, Mak WP, Yeung HKCA, Tucker J, Wong WC. Study protocol for a peer-led web-based intervention to promote safe usage of dating applications among young adults: a cluster randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2019 Feb 6;20(1):102. doi: 10.1186/s13063-018-3167-5.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. The data will include baseline demographics, dating application usage and behavior, and the primary and secondary outcomes.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
William Wong principal investigator
The University of Hong Kong
2 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Intervention - Dating application topic in people with Sex, Unsafe and Adolescent Behavior, run by The University of Hong Kong at 2 sites in Hong Kong.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 28 Apr 2020. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 2 sites in Hong Kong. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 28 Apr 2020). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Self Efficacy: This Will be Measured by the General Self Efficacy Scale (time frame: 8 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT03685643, which also lists 2 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 28 Apr 2020.