Chlamydia Trachomatis and Related Diseases in Illinois

Paper Info
Page count 3
Word count 651
Read time 4 min
Topic Medicine
Type Essay
Language 🇺🇸 US

Study Design

This project will utilize a quasi-experimental study due to its nature, which is to promote health. Hence, it is impossible to exclude certain individuals from the study based on varied behavioral patterns. Trochim (2006) has articulately indicated the types of quasi-experimental designs and in reference to this study’s question, a nonequivalent group design will be ideal. A nonequivalent quasi-experimental design utilizes pretest and posttest concepts for the experimental and control groups.

Setting/Sample

The study will take place in Illinois because of its high prevalence of Chlamydia and associated sexually transmitted diseases. In addition, there is a remarkable differentiation in the prevalence rate of Chlamydia among African Americans in comparison to other racial groups. Hence, this study will focus on young African American women aged between 15 and 24 years (Illinois Department of Public Health, 2010). The neighborhood of choice will be South Florida due to the high African American population and levels of marginalization. I will target the health facilities based on sampling with probability proportional to size, indicated by the European Social Survey Education Net (2013). The adolescents listed in the hospital records of selected health facilities will provide the sampling frame. The sample size will be determined using Cochran’s formula indicated by Israel (2015, par. 12). I will obtain a sampling interval and every nth individual will be included in the study. Upon obtaining my sample, I will use quota sampling to divide them into groups. New adolescents not part of the initial sampling frame will not be included in the study.

Data collection

A questionnaire containing a rating scale will be used to collect data before and after the intervention. Data collection will be enabled by engaging participants in interviews, but before the interviews, they will fill in the Likert scales.

Confidentiality

The identity of each participant will remain anonymous and no information will be revealed to any unauthorized party without the participants’ knowledge and approval. The participants will be referred to by serial numbers and any personal information linking to the participant will not be exposed during cleaning, coding, and analysis of data. Storage of data will be protected; electronic data will be stored in password-protected files. Information likely to reveal the identity of a participant will be stored separated from the general data and securely stored. This kind of information will be destroyed when no longer needed for the purposes of research.

Intervention

One quota of the sample population will receive health education and counseling while the other quota will receive condoms, but limited information on the essence of distributing and use of the condoms will be given. To ensure replicability of results, participants will not be included in this study if they are covered in another program or intervention.

Instruments and Measurement of outcomes

A questionnaire that will encompass a Likert scale will be used. The questionnaire will be used to obtain information on socio-demographic characteristics, involvement in sexual behavior, knowledge and attitude about sexual behavior, and factors influencing the participant’s choices of sexual behavior. Specifically, the Likert scale that is incorporated within the questionnaire will be used to measure knowledge, attitude, and cultural influences. The instruments will be measured to determine their validity and reliability using consulting my supervisor and applying Cronbach alpha and Pearson correlation coefficients respectively.

Data collection

Data will be collected through interviews, but the Likert scales will be filled in by the participants. The data collected will be a mixture of both quantitative and qualitative data.

Testing Frequency

Prior to the intervention, baseline data will be collected and described in terms of frequencies, proportions and ratios using descriptive statistics. Statistical differences between baseline characteristics of the two groups will also be determined and highlighted to aid in discussion of results. Repeated measures will be employed in that pretest and posttest data will be compared to determine change in behavior, knowledge, attitude, and decision-making processes associated with one’s sexuality.

References

European Social Survey Education Net. (2013). Sampling with probability proportional to size.

Illinois Department of Public Health. (2010). Illinois ranks above the national rate for Chlamydia and gonorrhea.

Israel, G. D. (2015). Determining sample size. Web.

Trochim, W. M. (2006). What is the research methods knowledge base?

Appendix 1: Questionnaire

Socio-demographic and background Information

  • What is your gender?
    • Male
    • Female
  • How old are you?
  • When is your birth date?
  • Have you engaged in any sexual activity before?
  • How old were you when you had an encounter with your first sexual activity?
  • How can you describe yourself?
    • I am sexually active
    • I am moderately sexually active
    • I am not sexually activie
  • How many times have you engaged in protected sex?
    • Once
    • Twice
    • Thrice
    • More than thrice
  • How many times have you engaged in unprotected sex?
    • Once
    • Twice
    • Thrice
    • More than thrice

Knowledge

Question Strongly Agree Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Disagree
  1. A condom is an effective means for preventing sexually transmitted infections
  1. Clamydia is prevented through protected sex?
  1. Protected sex is the use of pills to prevent pregnancy
  1. There is a high likelihood that a condom will burst during sexual activity
  1. Sex is the main indicator of love; therefore, I cannot abstain

Attitude

Question Strongly Agree Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Disagree
  1. I hate condoms because they make sex less enjoyable
  1. Contraction of chlamydia is a curse or bad luck
  1. Use of a condom is time wasting
  1. I will never consider using a condom
  1. I don’t mind contracting chlamydia

Cultural Influences

Question Strongly Agree Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Disagree
  1. My friend never use a condom, so I will not use one as well
  1. It is important to seek advice from health workers on one’s sexuality
  1. It is not right to talk about one’s sexuality with others
  1. My culture is right to discourage the use of condoms
  1. My culture is right to suppress the sexual rights of women when they demand the use of a condom

Cite this paper

Reference

NerdyHound. (2022, May 22). Chlamydia Trachomatis and Related Diseases in Illinois. Retrieved from https://nerdyhound.com/chlamydia-trachomatis-and-related-diseases-in-illinois/

Reference

NerdyHound. (2022, May 22). Chlamydia Trachomatis and Related Diseases in Illinois. https://nerdyhound.com/chlamydia-trachomatis-and-related-diseases-in-illinois/

Work Cited

"Chlamydia Trachomatis and Related Diseases in Illinois." NerdyHound, 22 May 2022, nerdyhound.com/chlamydia-trachomatis-and-related-diseases-in-illinois/.

References

NerdyHound. (2022) 'Chlamydia Trachomatis and Related Diseases in Illinois'. 22 May.

References

NerdyHound. 2022. "Chlamydia Trachomatis and Related Diseases in Illinois." May 22, 2022. https://nerdyhound.com/chlamydia-trachomatis-and-related-diseases-in-illinois/.

1. NerdyHound. "Chlamydia Trachomatis and Related Diseases in Illinois." May 22, 2022. https://nerdyhound.com/chlamydia-trachomatis-and-related-diseases-in-illinois/.


Bibliography


NerdyHound. "Chlamydia Trachomatis and Related Diseases in Illinois." May 22, 2022. https://nerdyhound.com/chlamydia-trachomatis-and-related-diseases-in-illinois/.

References

NerdyHound. 2022. "Chlamydia Trachomatis and Related Diseases in Illinois." May 22, 2022. https://nerdyhound.com/chlamydia-trachomatis-and-related-diseases-in-illinois/.

1. NerdyHound. "Chlamydia Trachomatis and Related Diseases in Illinois." May 22, 2022. https://nerdyhound.com/chlamydia-trachomatis-and-related-diseases-in-illinois/.


Bibliography


NerdyHound. "Chlamydia Trachomatis and Related Diseases in Illinois." May 22, 2022. https://nerdyhound.com/chlamydia-trachomatis-and-related-diseases-in-illinois/.