Randolph Submits Betty Moore Foundation Grant Proposal

Kudos to Schenita Randolph, assistant professor, and her entire team for the submission of the Betty Moore Foundation grant proposal entitled "The TALK: A Novel Mobile Application marketed in Barbershops and Beauty Salons for Black Fathers and Mothers to promote sexual health among Black male adolescents living in the United States South." This proposal requests funding for a three-year period with a start date of July 1, 2020.

Black male youth ages 13 through 17 have eight times the rate of human immunodeficiency virus compared to White male youth, accounting for over half of all HIV infections in this age group in the United States, predominantly in the South. Black male youth tend to have multiple sexual partners, use condoms inconsistently and if HIV infected, are unaware of their infection. Just 34.5% of young adults aged 18‐25 have ever been tested for HIV and 60% of infected young adults are unaware of their infection. In general, Blacks test less frequently than Whites and Latinos. Thus, reaching Black male youth before their risks increase is critical in ending the HIV epidemic. Parents are important as sexual health educators for their adolescent males’. Evidence supports that interventions engaging mothers are effective in delaying sexual debut and promoting condom use among adolescent males. Although there are fewer interventions that focus on fathers, especially Black fathers, there is ample evidence to show that fathers are as equally important in delaying sexual debut and increasing condom use among sexually active youth. A majority of parent‐adolescent interventions focused on male adolescents engage mothers and sons or fathers and sons. However, what is missing from adolescent sexual health interventions are interventions that engage both the mother and father as a family unit regardless of their marital or residential status (living in or outside of the home). Family interventions that are culturally and socially relevant and sustainable are needed to improve adolescent male sexual health.

The TALK mobile application has potential to be an innovative solution to address this problem. With some reconstruction, the app could be integrated and marketed through signage in proven safe spaces for health promotion activities for both Black men and women‐ the barbershop and beauty salon. Barbershops and beauty salons are promising venues where networks of Black men and women socialize; historically these venues have been a trusted place for health promotion activities. Additionally, these settings provide a unique opportunity to overcome barriers of medical mistrust and stigma prevalent throughout Black communities in regards to health care and HIV. More than 92% of U.S. adults own a cellphone, and more than 77% own a smartphone. This presents an easy opportunity to connect with patients that are often hard to reach. Given the high ownership of smartphones and increase in access to mobile technologies, individuals are now able to engage in healthy behaviors and self‐management with assistance from no‐ or low‐cost digital health interventions. However, many digital health interventions are not created by clinicians, but rather by for‐profit companies and industries. Our nurse‐led app will create a solution that is evidence‐based and has the potential for commercialization. Digital health interventions based on theories of behavioral change prove to be more clinically effective. Integrating the marketing of a mobile application through signage into safe, trusted spaces like the barbershop and beauty salon has the potential of having a community widespread impact.