TY - JOUR
T1 - Modelling the impact of tailored behavioural interventions on chlamydia transmission
AU - van Wees, Daphne
AU - den Daas, Chantal
AU - Kretzschmar, Mirjam
AU - Heijne, Janneke
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding was funded by Strategic Programme (SPR) of the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (project number S/113004/01/IP).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s).
PY - 2021/12
Y1 - 2021/12
N2 - Behavioural interventions tailored to psychological characteristics of an individual can effectively achieve risk-reducing behaviour. The impact of tailored interventions on population-level chlamydia prevalence is unknown. We aimed to assess the impact on overall chlamydia prevalence five years after the introduction of an intervention aimed at increasing self-efficacy, social norms, attitudes and intentions towards condom use (i.e., condom intervention), and an intervention aimed at increasing health goals and decreasing impulsiveness (i.e., impulsiveness intervention). A pair model, informed by longitudinal psychological and behavioural data of young heterosexuals visiting sexual health centers, with susceptible-infected-susceptible structure was developed. The intervention effect was defined as an increased proportion of each subgroup moving to the desired subgroup (i.e., lower risk subgroup). Interventions tailored to subgroup-specific characteristics, assuming differential intervention effects in each subgroup, more effectively reduced overall chlamydia prevalence compared to non-tailored interventions. The most effective intervention was the tailored condom intervention, which was assumed to result in a relative reduction in chlamydia prevalence of 18% versus 12% in the non-tailored scenario. Thus, it is important to assess multiple psychological and behavioural characteristics of individuals. Tailored interventions may be more successful in achieving risk-reducing behaviour, and consequently, reduce chlamydia prevalence more effectively.
AB - Behavioural interventions tailored to psychological characteristics of an individual can effectively achieve risk-reducing behaviour. The impact of tailored interventions on population-level chlamydia prevalence is unknown. We aimed to assess the impact on overall chlamydia prevalence five years after the introduction of an intervention aimed at increasing self-efficacy, social norms, attitudes and intentions towards condom use (i.e., condom intervention), and an intervention aimed at increasing health goals and decreasing impulsiveness (i.e., impulsiveness intervention). A pair model, informed by longitudinal psychological and behavioural data of young heterosexuals visiting sexual health centers, with susceptible-infected-susceptible structure was developed. The intervention effect was defined as an increased proportion of each subgroup moving to the desired subgroup (i.e., lower risk subgroup). Interventions tailored to subgroup-specific characteristics, assuming differential intervention effects in each subgroup, more effectively reduced overall chlamydia prevalence compared to non-tailored interventions. The most effective intervention was the tailored condom intervention, which was assumed to result in a relative reduction in chlamydia prevalence of 18% versus 12% in the non-tailored scenario. Thus, it is important to assess multiple psychological and behavioural characteristics of individuals. Tailored interventions may be more successful in achieving risk-reducing behaviour, and consequently, reduce chlamydia prevalence more effectively.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85099754019&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s41598-021-81675-w
DO - 10.1038/s41598-021-81675-w
M3 - Article
C2 - 33495513
SN - 2045-2322
VL - 11
JO - Scientific Reports
JF - Scientific Reports
M1 - 2148
ER -