Effectiveness of digital interventions to reduce school-age adolescent sexual risks: A systematic review.
Ana Aguilar-Quesada, Alba Sierra-Yagüe, María González-Cano-Caballero and 2 others
PMID 39118266WHAT IT FOUND
School-based digital interventions improve adolescent sexual knowledge and attitudes, but have limited and inconsistent effects on actual sexual behaviors like intercourse and contraceptive use.
These benefits often fade over time, requiring booster sessions or combined face-to-face components to sustain.
Key findings
01Digital interventions showed positive effects on sexual knowledge and attitudes, but effects on sexual behaviors like intercourse and contraceptive use were low, mixed, or not sustained.
02Effects on sexual behaviors were difficult to modify with strictly digital interventions, and results often diminished over time unless booster sessions or face-to-face components were included.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
High heterogeneity in intervention types, settings, and outcome measures prevented a pooled meta-analysis. Most studies had short follow-up periods, making long-term behavioral effects unclear. Interventions were often highly controlled by researchers and financially compensated, which may have inflated adherence and engagement compared to real-world settings. Demographic profiles of participants were often incomplete or inconsistent across studies.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that digital-only interventions will effectively change adolescent sexual behavior. While they improve knowledge and attitudes, the review found that behavioral changes were small, inconsistent, and often not sustained over time without face-to-face components or booster sessions.