After 15 years of research on youth-focused technology-based interventions, this meta-analysis demonstrates their promise to improve safer sex behavior and cognitions. Future work should adapt interventions to extend their protective effects over time.

Background Sexual health is an important area of study—particularly for minority youth and youth living in disadvantaged neighborhoods. Objectives The purpose of the research was to examine the sources of sexual health information associated with youth adopting sexual risk reduction behaviors. Methods Data collection took place in a small city in the Northeastern United States using cross-sectional behavioral surveys and modified venue-based sampling. Participants included 249 African-American and Latino/a youth aged 13–24. Participants reported their sources of information about contraception and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/sexually transmitted disease (STD), such as TV/movies, parents, social media; their intentions to have sex; and condom and contraception use during their last sexual activity. Social media use, past pregnancy experience, past sexual history, age, and gender were also measured. Standard tests of bivariate association (chi-squared and F-tests) were used to examine initial associations between sexual risk reduction behavior and exposure to sexual risk reduction information on social media. Logistic regression models were used to test multivariate relationships between information sources and sexual risk reduction behavior. Results Youth who were exposed to sexual health messages on social media were 2.69 times (p < .05) and 2.49 times (p < .08) more likely to have used contraception or a condom at last intercourse, respectively. Parents, schools, or traditional media as information sources were not significantly associated with contractive use or condom use at last intercourse. Discussion Youth sexual behavior is increasingly informed by social media messages. Health practitioners should utilize social media as an important health promotion tool.

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PurposeThe article aims to investigate implementation problems arising from the introduction of a new computer system in a public agency.Design/methodology/approachTwo analytical lenses were employed: a prescriptive model of technology‐based implementation and planned and emergent models of change.FindingsUnintended consequences tested the organisation's resilience. It was found that those parts of the organisation with enhanced resilience exhibited localised leadership.Practical implicationsSuccessful implementation of change involving new technology requires a balance between “top‐down” planning and distributed leadership. Adequate attention to organisational learning is also a significant factor.Originality/valueImplementation involving new computer systems is a commonly‐encountered problem in the public sector, yet there are few empirically‐based studies that deal with organisational and management issues in this context.

This study evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a 45-minute interactive, online sexual health program for adolescents, called Health Education and Relationship Training (HEART). The program was originally developed and evaluated among adolescent girls (HEART for Girls); the current project describes and evaluates a new version of the program that was adapted for boys and girls. Participants were 226 high school students (mean age = 16.3; 58% girls; 46% White; 79% heterosexual). Students were randomized to HEART or an attention-matched control and assessed at pre-test and immediate post-test. Overall, the program was feasible to administer in a school setting and youth found the program highly acceptable (83% liked the program, 87% learned new things, and 93% would use program content in the future). At post-test, students who completed HEART demonstrated improvement on every outcome we examined: sexual communication intentions, condom use intentions, HIV/STD knowledge, condom attitudes, condom norms, self-efficacy to practice safer sex, and sexual assertiveness compared to control participants (effect size ds = .23 to 1.27). Interactions by gender and sexual orientation revealed the program was equally acceptable and worked equally well for boys and girls and for heterosexual and sexual minority youth. We propose several avenues to further adapt and tailor HEART given its promise in promoting adolescent sexual health.