Extraneous Variables
In order to address the research question and determine the key methods currently used for STI prevention among young adults, as well as determine the efficacy of these methods, several extraneous variables that may affect the outcomes of the research must be considered. Specifically, it is expected that the social status of the target demographic, namely, the differences in their education, financial status, and, therefore, their access to crucial health information resources, will affect the research results (Francis et al., 2018). Namely, research participants from wealthier and more socially secure backgrounds are expected to show higher rates of STI awareness (Mortimer et al., 2015). Nonetheless, the specified trend does not negate the importance of promoting STI-related health literacy among young people, in general.
Instruments
In order to collect the data that will help to answer the question of what the key barriers in preventing STI among young people are a semi-structured survey will be used. The survey will consist of fifteen questions that will address the participants’ understanding of the nature of STI, the key risk factors, the essential precaution and prevention measures, and the healthcare resources that they can use when suspecting the presence of an STI.
The choice of the semi-structured approach was determined by the necessity to capture a broader range of data and factors that may not have been taken into consideration when designing the survey. Thus, the room for discoveries and academic insights will be created. However, the presence of a specific structure will still be needed to ensure that the conversation remains steeped in the required direction. Additionally, the Likert-scale questions will be incorporated into the survey to create opportunities for using descriptive statistics in order to determine the prevalence of specific responses and, thus, locate the existing trends.
Description of the Intervention
In turn, the intervention process will imply using the available social media in order to build awareness concerning STIs and the methods of preventing them, as well as identifying emergent threats and possible signs and symptoms.
Specifically, a clear and concise set of strategies for the target demographic to adopt in order to guard themselves against STI will be designed. Additionally, a methodological approach for working with the target demographic, including the incorporation of sociocultural specifics needed for the success of the program, will be developed. Particularly, vulnerable groups, namely, young people who are unaware of the threats of STI, will be provided with a tool for managing the emergent threat and gaining agency in the process. Therefore, the intervention process will require introducing the target group to the key principles of health management against STI, as well as the further development of self-directed health literacy skills.
Data Collection Procedures
The key data collection process will be based on considering the statistics concerning STI in young people. Namely, the key statistical information concerning the rates of STI contraction and development in young people will be obtained from official sites of local healthcare facilities and related sources. The specified data will allow gauging the efficacy of the developed strategy. In addition, changes in young adults’ perceptions of STI and the idea of self-care and health management will be tracked down by integrating surveys and questionnaires in the process of data collection.
The surveys in question will be distributed among the target demographics with the help of social media and related tools. After collecting the data, key qualitative changes, namely, alterations in young people’s attitudes and perceptions, will be analyzed along with the quantitative changes in STI contraction and recovery.
References
Francis, S. C., Mthiyane, T. N., Baisley, K., Mchunu, S. L., Ferguson, J. B., Smit, T.,… Shahmanesh, M. (2018). Prevalence of sexually transmitted infections among young people in South Africa: A nested survey in a health and demographic surveillance site. PLoS Medicine, 15(2). Web.
Mortimer, N. J., Rhee, J., Guy, R., Hayen, A., & Lau, A. Y. (2015). A web-based personally controlled health management system increases sexually transmitted infection screening rates in young people: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 22(4), 805-814. Web.