Development of a digital educational technology about safe sexual practice and contraception with adolescents

Author(s)

Lilian Mayumi Chinen Tamashiro

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Ribeirão Preto.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto (PCARP/BC)
• Defense date: 2020-01-20

Examining board members

Luciana Mara Monti Fonseca; Marta Angélica Iossi Silva; Adriana Zilly

• Advisor: Luciana Mara Monti Fonseca

Abstract

There are high rates of teenage pregnancy in Brazil and technological resources such as smartphones can be important tools to address topics relevant to adolescents, such as the use of contraceptive methods. The researches regarding the use of virtual resources focused on sex education are incipient and this is further reduced when searching for evidence referring to the use of serious games about the theme addressed to this public. Thinking about strategies that not only enable information, but which are interactive and meaningful in the context of adolescents\' lives, stimulating the meaningful learning, behavior change and personal maturation, there is a need to develop a mobile application game (app) for this clientele. Thus, the general objective of this work was to develop a digital educational technology about safe sexual practices and contraception, with the active participation of adolescents. It was an applied research of technological production on the construction of a serious game about the theme for adolescents. It was carried out in two stages: 1) Participatory technology development, with focus groups; 2) Evaluation of content and usability by experts and target audience, the adolescents. The User-Centered Design model based on participatory design was used. Eight adolescents aged 15 to 17 years of a public school in the city of São Paulo participated actively in the development of technology. The study took place from October/2015 to February/2019. The topics discussed at the focus group meetings were about sexual practice, contraceptive methods, pregnancy, Sexually Transmitted Infections and the app. Thus, the Prinventon app was developed, a game that happens in a virtual city and works the sexuality in adolescence. The content and the usability were evaluated by six technology professionals, six health professionals and four adolescents. Overall, the app was considered by experts as relevant to the topic being addressed. To technology professionals, a more complex approach was lacking, as in action and adventure games that use the system of phases and increased difficulties. For health professionals, the app is intuitive, could explore greater content and some had difficulties after installation. The teenagers rated the app as interactive, good quality and with enough content, with great possibilities to recommend it. It is believed that the app developed is suitable for adolescents, since it aims to approach the sexuality in adolescence in a playful and realistic way, focusing on safe sex and contraception (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 16/09102-9 - Educational digital technology development about safe sex practice and contraception with teens
• Grantee: Lilian Mayumi Chinen Tamashiro
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)