SBIR-STTR Award

The Smart Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Tool (SmartAPPT) will study the scientific merit and technical feasibility of a web-based mobile smart phone application to improve knowledge and access to pregnancy prevention information among girls ages 15-17. SmartAPPT is based on the principle that all youth have the right to medically accurate and comprehensive information that empowers them to make healthy and safe choices regarding their sexuality. SmartAPPT seeks to develop a mobile phone application that makes access to such information convenient, easily accessible, and guide the user to appropriate contraception options and clinic locations where to get services. SmartAPPT will specifically address the information needs and app design preferences of African American and Latina users. A Youth Advisory Council will be actively engaged in the development and testing of the SmartAPPT. Multiple evaluation methods will be used to assess the technical feasibility, utility, and interest of the target population on the app. The application will be tested on multiple mobile phone platforms.

Increasing girls' access to medically accurate, comprehensive & confidential sexual health information is critical in sustaining the momentum in teen pregnancy reduction. Our goal is to put the power of sexual health information in English & in Spanish in the hands of millions of girls through Crush 2.0 a youth-engaging mobile application grounded in the Theory of Planned behavior and self-efficacy. Our aims are to: 1) scale-up Crush 1.0 into a media-rich, highly interactive & educational application: 2) test its usability and efficacy in increasing consistent use of effective contraception & utilization of clinical services through a randomize control trial with repeated measures with girls ages 14 to 18, and 3) widely disseminate to a national audience. Linear & logistic multivariate models will assess differences in outcome behaviors between both groups, and will examine the association between theoretical constructs and sexual behavior, and the behavioral outcome. We expect to see both increase intention & actual consistency in contraception use & clinic utilization at three and six moth follow-up. Efficacy & usability testing of Crush 2.0 will expand our knowledge on the potential of using education mobile applications for behavior change.