Maximizing Digital Interventions for Youth in the Midst of Covid-19: Lessons from the Adolescent Trials Network for HIV Interventions

• Authors: Lisa Hightow-Weidman, University of North Carolina; Kate Muessig, University of North Carolina; Kristina Claude, University of North Carolina; Jessica Roberts, University of North Carolina; Maria Zlotorzynska, Emory University; Travis Sanchez, Emory University
• Journal Title: Aids and Behavior
• Volume: Volume 24, Number 8
• Publisher: Springer/Plenum Publishers | 2020-04-18, Pages 2239-2243
• Type of Work: Article | Final Publisher PDF
• Publisher DOI: http://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-020-02870-w
• Subjects: Engineering, Biomedical; Health Sciences, Public Health; Psychology, Behavioral; Health Sciences, Human Development
• Keywords: Science & Technology; Social Sciences; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Public, Environmental & Occupational Health; Social Sciences, Biomedical; Biomedical Social Sciences; Technology; Smartphones; Internet

Abstract

Mobile technologies and social media offer powerful tools to reach, engage, and retain youth in HIV prevention and care interventions and deliver personalized, theory-based health content [1–3]. Technology use is ubiquitous among youth [4], from a variety of backgrounds and offers many opportunities for connecting youth to digital health interventions (DHIs), including those that address HIV prevention and care behaviors. HIV-focused DHIs are feasible and acceptable to youth, including sexual and gender minority youth, necessitating larger, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to demonstrate efficacy [2, 5, 6].