A high percentage of rational people make irrational decisions regarding their health. This phenomenon is never more pronounced than during adolescence, when young people begin making choices that impact their health for the first time. Research shows that the reasoning capability of teens is comparable to adults, but teens have less experience plus a propensity to inaccurately assess risks. This Head First Program proposes to develop and test an innovative prototype CD-ROM program, designed to teach early adolescent children to make healthier decisions, in three phases: Phase I: Focus Groups.We will use focus groups with teens to explore attitudes and themes used to develop the CD-ROM program. Phase II: Prototype Development.We will use focus group feedback plus secondary research to develop an interactive learning tool about making healthy choices. Phase III: Prototype Field Testing.Using observations, post-use interviews, and data tracking on the CD-ROM with a group of students, we will evaluate the interest level and effectiveness of the program. In Phase II we would develop a complete CD-ROM/website program covering healthy choices in many different areas--diet, exercise, smoking, drugs, etc.--and test it more comprehensively with a wide range of early adolescents.
Most existing video and print Health Education programs tend to focus on specific problem areas--alcohol, drugs, and sexually transmitted diseases-- without dealing with the larger issue of teaching young people how to lead healthy lives. Our interactive CD-ROM/web will take advantage of the latest technology to simulate the complex array of choices facing today's adolescents and help teach them how to lead healthier lives. The program can be used by individual students or in classroom situations, and will be marketed natIonwide through educational distributors and health museums.
