Challenges to translating new media interventions in community practice: a sexual health SMS program case study
Cassandra J. C. Wright A B D , Kaytlyn Leinberger C and Megan S. C. Lim A BA Centre for Population Health, Burnet Institute, 85 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Vic. 3004, Australia.
B School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, 99 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Vic. 3004, Australia.
C headspace Central West Gippsland, 99 Buckley Street, Morwell, Vic. 3840, Australia.
D Corresponding author. Email: cassandra.wright@burnet.edu.au
Health Promotion Journal of Australia 27(1) 70-73 https://doi.org/10.1071/HE15057
Submitted: 5 June 2015 Accepted: 27 August 2015 Published: 20 October 2015
Abstract
Issue addressed: Herein we discuss translational challenges for new media interventions, using the Sexual Health & Youth (SHY) short message service (SMS) project to illustrate particular challenges relating to recruitment and evaluation.
Methods: Following the delivery of an SMS sexual health program, available documents (progress reports, communications with project staff, ethics submissions and reporting) were analysed thematically to elucidate the barriers to recruitment, implementation and evaluation.
Results: Despite being framed by evidence-based research, the project had little impact on the intended population. Only 119 of an expected 5100 young people (2%) enrolled to receive SMS messages. Program documents highlighted the difficulty of recruiting participants for new media interventions. Key issues identified in recruitment included under-resourcing, delays waiting to receive ethics approval and challenges of school-based recruitment.
Conclusion: The minimal impact of the SHY program illustrates the need for improved research translation in the field of new media interventions. It is important that recruitment procedures align with the convenience and appeal of mobile phone-based interventions.
So what?: New media research is not always easily translated into community settings. Large-scale recruitment requires adequate resourcing and careful planning, even for low-cost mobile interventions. Stronger formative research, documentation and use of partnerships are essential for successful implementation. Researchers must also consider translation in planning and disseminating their work.
References
[1] Cole-Lewis H, Kershaw T (2010) Text messaging as a tool for behavior change in disease prevention and management. Epidemiol Rev 32, 56–69.| Text messaging as a tool for behavior change in disease prevention and management.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 20354039PubMed |
[2] Fjeldsoe BS, Marshall AL, Miller YD (2009) Behavior change interventions delivered by mobile telephone short-message service. Am J Prev Med 36, 165–73.
| Behavior change interventions delivered by mobile telephone short-message service.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 19135907PubMed |
[3] Gippsland Women’s Health Service. Gippsland sexual and reproductive health strategy 2009–2012. Sale, Vic.: Gippsland Women’s Health Service; 2008.
[4] Lim MS, Hocking JS, Aitken CK, Fairley CK, Jordan L, Lewis JA, et al (2012) Impact of text and email messaging on the sexual health of young people: a randomised controlled trial. J Epidemiol Community Health 66, 69–74.
| Impact of text and email messaging on the sexual health of young people: a randomised controlled trial.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 21415232PubMed |
[5] Gold J, Lim MS, Hellard ME, Hocking JS, Keogh L (2010) What’s in a message? Delivering sexual health promotion to young people in Australia via text messaging. BMC Public Health 10, 792
| What’s in a message? Delivering sexual health promotion to young people in Australia via text messaging.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 21190584PubMed |
[6] Tigges BB (2003) Parental consent and adolescent risk behavior research. J Nurs Scholarsh 35, 283–9.
| Parental consent and adolescent risk behavior research.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 14562498PubMed |
[7] O’Donnell LN, Duran RH, San Doval A, Breslin MJ, Juhn GM, Stueve A (1997) Obtaining written parent permission for school-based health surveys of urban young adolescents. J Adolesc Health 21, 376–83.
| Obtaining written parent permission for school-based health surveys of urban young adolescents.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DyaK1c%2FmsFCiug%3D%3D&md5=a820bb05ed0adb4569c7343a15a62e12CAS | 9401856PubMed |
[8] Mak DB, Grace J, Bastian L, Aquilina H, Sweeting J (2012) Evaluation of a sexual health and blood-borne virus health education website for youth. Health Promot J Austr 23, 194–200.
[9] Crockett B, Keleher H, Rudd A, Klein R, Locke B, Roussy V (2013) An evaluation of the RAGE (Register And Get Educated) project. Youth Stud Austr 32,
[10] McEwan A, Crouch A, Robertson H, Fagan P (2013) The Torres Indigenous Hip Hop Project: evaluating the use of performing arts as a medium for sexual health promotion. Health Promot J Austr 24, 132–6.
| The Torres Indigenous Hip Hop Project: evaluating the use of performing arts as a medium for sexual health promotion.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 24168740PubMed |
[11] Lim MS, Wright C, Hellard ME (2014) The medium and the message: fitting sound health promotion methodology into 160 characters. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 2,
| The medium and the message: fitting sound health promotion methodology into 160 characters.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 25367387PubMed |
[12] Sheoran B, Braun RA, Gaarde J, Levine DK (2014) The hookup: collaborative evaluation of a youth sexual health program using short message service (SMS) technology. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 2, e51
| The hookup: collaborative evaluation of a youth sexual health program using short message service (SMS) technology.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 25367444PubMed |
[13] Yuan P, Bare MG, Johnson MO, Saberi P (2014) Using online social media for recruitment of human immunodeficiency virus-positive participants: a cross-sectional survey. J Med Internet Res 16,
| Using online social media for recruitment of human immunodeficiency virus-positive participants: a cross-sectional survey.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 24784982PubMed |
[14] Kapp JM, Peters C, Oliver DP (2013) Research recruitment using Facebook advertising: big potential, big challenges. J Cancer Educ 28, 134–7.
| Research recruitment using Facebook advertising: big potential, big challenges.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 23292877PubMed |
[15] Ramo DE, Prochaska JJ (2012) Broad reach and targeted recruitment using Facebook for an online survey of young adult substance use. J Med Internet Res 14, e28
| Broad reach and targeted recruitment using Facebook for an online survey of young adult substance use.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 22360969PubMed |
[16] Lohse B (2013) Facebook is an effective strategy to recruit low-income women to online nutrition education. J Nutr Educ Behav 45, 69–76.
| Facebook is an effective strategy to recruit low-income women to online nutrition education.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 23305805PubMed |
[17] Wilson RE, Gosling SD, Graham LT (2012) A review of Facebook research in the social sciences. Perspect Psychol Sci 7, 203–20.
| A review of Facebook research in the social sciences.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 26168459PubMed |
[18] Fenner Y, Garland SM, Moore EE, Jayasinghe Y, Fletcher A, Tabrizi SN, et al (2012) Web-based recruiting for health research using a social networking site: an exploratory study. J Med Internet Res 14, e20
| Web-based recruiting for health research using a social networking site: an exploratory study.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 22297093PubMed |
[19] Levine D, Madsen A, Wright E, Barar RE, Santelli J, Bull S (2011) Formative research on MySpace: online methods to engage hard-to-reach populations. J Health Commun 16, 448–54.
| Formative research on MySpace: online methods to engage hard-to-reach populations.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 21391040PubMed |
[20] Balfe M, Doyle F, Conroy R (2012) Using Facebook to recruit young adults for qualitative research projects: how difficult is it? Comput Inform Nurs 30, 511–15.
| Using Facebook to recruit young adults for qualitative research projects: how difficult is it?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 23079479PubMed |
[21] DiClemente RJ, Salazar LF, Crosby RA. Community-based research in the context of health promotion. In Salazar LF, Crosby RA, DiClemente RJ, editors. Research methods in health promotion (pp. 313–36). San Francisco: Jossey Bass; 2015.
[22] Minkler M (2005) Community-based research partnerships: challenges and opportunities. J Urban Health 82, ii3–ii12.
| Community-based research partnerships: challenges and opportunities.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 15888635PubMed |