Dataset Information

Expert Opinions on Web-Based Peer Education Interventions for Youth Sexual Health Promotion: Qualitative Study.

ABSTRACT: Background: Participatory education, in the form of peer education, may be an effective way to promote youth sexual health. With the advent of the internet, web-based interventions have potential as an attractive new tool for sexual health promotion by peers.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate professional experts' opinions on the perspectives for web-based participatory interventions to promote sexual health by peers and among young people.

Methods: Semistructured interviews were carried out with 20 experts (stakeholders in direct contact with young people, researchers, and institutional actors) specializing in sexual health, health promotion, peer education, youth, internet, and social media. After coding with N'Vivo, data were subjected to qualitative thematic analysis.

Results: The majority of experts (18/20, 90%) found this kind of intervention to be attractive, but highlighted the necessary conditions, risks, and limitations attached to developing an acceptable peer intervention on the internet for sexual health promotion among young people. Five main themes were identified: (1) an internet intervention; (2) sexual health; (3) internet skills, and uses and the need for moderation; (4) multifaceted peers; and (5) minority peers. In the absence of youth interest for institutional messages, the experts highlighted the attractive participatory features of web-based interventions and the need for geolocalized resources. However, they also warned of the limitations associated with the possibility of integrating peers into education: peers should not be mere messengers, and should remain peers so as not to be outsiders to the target group. Experts highlighted concrete proposals to design an online participatory peer intervention, including the process of peer implication, online features in the intervention, and key points for conception and evaluation.

Conclusions: The experts agreed that web-based participatory interventions for youth sexual health promotion must be tailored to needs, uses, and preferences. This type of action requires youth involvement framed in an inclusive and holistic sexual health approach. Peer education can be implemented via the internet, but the design of the intervention also requires not being overly institutional in nature. Involving young people in their own education in an interactive, safe online space has the potential to develop their empowerment and to foster long-term positive behaviors, especially in the area of sexual health.

SUBMITTER: Martin P

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7723739 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Expert Opinions on Web-Based Peer Education Interventions for Youth Sexual Health Promotion: Qualitative Study.

Martin Philippe P Alberti Corinne C Gottot Serge S Bourmaud Aurelie A de La Rochebrochard Elise E

Journal of medical Internet research 20201124 11

<h4>Background</h4>Participatory education, in the form of peer education, may be an effective way to promote youth sexual health. With the advent of the internet, web-based interventions have potential as an attractive new tool for sexual health promotion by peers.<h4>Objective</h4>The aim of this study was to evaluate professional experts' opinions on the perspectives for web-based participatory interventions to promote sexual health by peers and among young people.<h4>Methods</h4>Semistructur ...[more]

PMID: 33231552

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Project description:BackgroundDepression and anxiety are the most common mental health conditions, and they were identified as leading contributors to global disability in 2016. People with these conditions rely on Web-based resources as a source of accurate health information, convenient and effective treatment, and essential social support. However, a recent systematic review revealed several potentially limiting difficulties that this group experiences online and also suggested that there is a partial understanding of these difficulties as only difficulties associated with neurocognitive, but not sociocognitive, deficits were identified. Therefore, this study fills this knowledge gap and contributes to a more robust and fuller understanding of the difficulties this group experiences online.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to identify the difficulties people with depression and anxiety experience when using the Web and the Web activities that are most associated with the experience of difficulties.MethodsThe study employed data triangulation using face-to-face semistructured interviews with 21 participants affected by depression and anxiety and a comparison group (7 participants) without mental disorders (study 1) as well as a persona-based expert online survey with 21 mental health practitioners (MHPs) who treated people with depression and anxiety (study 2). Framework analysis for both studies proceeded through 5 stages: (1) familiarization, (2) identifying a thematic framework, (3) indexing, (4) charting, and (5) mapping and interpretation.ResultsIn study 1, 167 difficulties were identified from the experiences of participants in the depression and anxiety group were discussed within the context of 81 Web activities, services, and features. From these, 4 themes and 12 subthemes describing the difficulties people with depression and anxiety experienced online were identified. Difficulties relating to the subtheme lack of control over access and usage were the most common difficulties experienced by participants in the depression and anxiety group (19/21). Sixteen difficulties identified from the experiences of participants in the comparison group were discussed within the context of 11 Web activities, services, and features. Most participants in the comparison group (6/7) contributed to the subtheme describing difficulties with unexpected and irrelevant content. In study 2, researchers identified 3 themes and 10 subthemes that described the perceived difficulties people with depression and anxiety might experience online as reported by MHPs. Practitioners linked these difficulties with 22 common impairments, limitations in activities of daily life, and diagnostic criteria associated with depression and anxiety.ConclusionsPeople with depression and anxiety also experience difficulties when using the Web that are related to the sociocognitive deficits associated with their conditions. MHPs have a good awareness of the difficulties that people with depression and anxiety are likely to experience when using the Web. This investigation has contributed to a fuller understanding of these difficulties and provides innovative guidance on how to remove and reduce them for people with depression and anxiety when using the Web.International registered report identifier (irrid)RR2-10.1007/978-3-319-21006-3_3.

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Dataset Information

Expert Opinions on Web-Based Peer Education Interventions for Youth Sexual Health Promotion: Qualitative Study.

Publications

Expert Opinions on Web-Based Peer Education Interventions for Youth Sexual Health Promotion: Qualitative Study.

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