Strengthening Adolescent-Adult Networks to Reduce Youth Violence

NCT05185453 | Completed Results

• 2 other identifiers: STUDY210301401K23HD098277-01
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 74
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This pilot community-partnered cluster-randomized trial will examine the feasibility and acceptability of a social network-based youth violence prevention program called Strengthening Connections for Change for youth ages 13-17 and their key adult supports.

Conditions

Violence in Adolescence; Social Interaction; Coping Skills; Adolescent Behavior

Keywords

social networks; social support; violence prevention

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Participant Attendance

  Attendance recorded at beginning and end of each session. Calculated as a proportion of total number of sessions attended (possible session attended #: 0-12 for youth participants and 0-9 for adult participants) using the following method (# youth at session 1 + # youth at session 2 + …)/(# of youth participants x12 sessions) and (# adults at session 1 + # adults at session 2 + …)/(# of adult participants x9 sessions). The possible proportion attended ranges from 0-1.

  through intervention completion, 12 weeks

• Participant Overall Satisfaction With Curriculum Content and Format Assessed by Researcher-generated Likert-scale Items

  At the end of the program, participants will be asked about how satisfied they were overall with the topics discussed and format of the program using 5-point Likert scale items. Means score will be calculated across the items (possible range: 1-5; higher score means higher satisfaction). This data was collected for the Strengthening Connections for change intervention groups only.

  end of program (12 weeks)

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Participant Satisfaction With Weekly Session Content Assessed by Researcher-generated Likert-scale Items

  end of program (12 weeks)

Other Outcomes (6)

• Change in Social Network Composition

  Baseline, end of program (12 weeks)

• Change in Violence Perpetration

  Baseline, end of program (12 weeks)

• Change in Violence Victimization

  Baseline, end of program (12 weeks)

Study Arms (2)

Strengthening Connections for Change

EXPERIMENTAL

Strengthening Connections for Change uses a group discussion format with activities that explore identity, adolescent-adult relationships, social networks, and community engagement. Youth invite their self-identified key adult supports to jointly participate in programming and curriculum includes youth-focused, adult-focused and jointly focused activities designed to build leadership skills, enhance intergenerational networks, challenge attitudes towards violence and retaliation, and reduce violence involvement. Through 12 sessions (2 hours/session) delivered weekly, Strengthening Connections offers leadership development coupled with strengths-based youth violence prevention programming.

Behavioral: Strengthening Connections for Change

Job Readiness Training

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Job Readiness Training uses a group discussion format to learn specific skills to prepare for employment including developing goals, seeking jobs, preparing for interviews, and so forth. Participants receive a 12 session job readiness training with linkages to businesses and employment opportunities. Discussions include a wide range of topics related to career exploration and job readiness.

Behavioral: Job Readiness Training

Interventions

Strengthening Connections for Change BEHAVIORAL

Strengthening Connections for Change is a 12-session curriculum designed to strengthen adolescent-adult support networks, build leadership skills, foster community engagement, and challenge attitudes and behaviors that foster violence involvement. During the program, youth ages 13-17 years invite their self-identified key adult supports to jointly participate in programming including youth-focused, adult-focused and jointly focused activities. Towards the end of programming participants design and carry out a community project to strengthen intergenerational connections and promote community engagement.

Strengthening Connections for Change

Job Readiness Training BEHAVIORAL

Job Readiness Training uses a group discussion format to learn specific skills to prepare for employment including developing goals, seeking jobs, preparing for interviews, and so forth.

Job Readiness Training

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 13 Years+
• Gender Eligibility Details: Participants that self report any self-representation of gender identity to include, but not limited to, male, female, trans-male, trans-female, nonbinary, or gender non conforming.
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Youth:
• Participants must be ages 13-17 (inclusive)
• Participants must speak English
• Adults
• Participants must be ages 18 or older
• Participants must speak English

You may not qualify if:

• Youth:
• Not ages 13-17 (inclusive)
• Do not speak English
• Adults
• Less than 18 years of age
• Do not speak English

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Pittsburgh: lead
• National Institutes of Health (NIH): collaborator
• Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Adolescent Behavior

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Dr. Alison Culyba
• Organization: University of Pittsburgh

alison.culyba@chp.edu

412-692-6056

Study Officials

• Alison Culyba, MD PhD MPH

  University of Pittsburgh

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: Yes
• Restrictive Agreement: No

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor of Pediatrics

Model Details: This pilot community-partnered cluster-randomized trial will examine the feasibility and acceptability of a social network-based youth violence prevention program called Strengthening Connections for Change for youth ages 13-17 and their key adult supports. The study will be located in four lower resource Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania neighborhoods ('clusters') randomized to receive either the Strengthening Connections for Change program (i.e. intervention neighborhoods, n=2) or to a job skills training program (i.e. control neighborhoods, n=2).

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: December 22, 2021
• First Posted: January 11, 2022
• Study Start: May 24, 2022
• Primary Completion: July 11, 2023
• Study Completion: July 11, 2023
• Last Updated: August 23, 2024
• Results First Posted: August 23, 2024

Record last verified: 2024-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)