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The SPORTSMART study: a pilot randomised controlled trial of sexually transmitted infection screening interventions targeting men in football club settings.

Fuller, SS; Mercer, CH; Copas, AJ; Saunders, J; Sutcliffe, LJ; Cassell, JA; Hart, G; Johnson, AM; Roberts, TE; Jackson, LJ; et al. Fuller, SS; Mercer, CH; Copas, AJ; Saunders, J; Sutcliffe, LJ; Cassell, JA; Hart, G; Johnson, AM; Roberts, TE; Jackson, LJ; Muniina, P; Estcourt, CS (2015) The SPORTSMART study: a pilot randomised controlled trial of sexually transmitted infection screening interventions targeting men in football club settings. Sexually Transmitted Infections, 91 (2). pp. 106-110. ISSN 1368-4973 https://doi.org/10.1136/sextrans-2014-051719
SGUL Authors: Fuller, Sebastian Suarez

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Uptake of chlamydia screening by men in England has been substantially lower than by women. Non-traditional settings such as sports clubs offer opportunities to widen access. Involving people who are not medically trained to promote screening could optimise acceptability. METHODS: We developed two interventions to explore the acceptability and feasibility of urine-based sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening interventions targeting men in football clubs. We tested these interventions in a pilot cluster randomised control trial. Six clubs were randomly allocated, two to each of three trial arms: team captain-led and poster STI screening promotion; sexual health adviser-led and poster STI screening promotion; and poster-only STI screening promotion (control/comparator). Primary outcome was test uptake. RESULTS: Across the three arms, 153 men participated in the trial and 90 accepted the offer of screening (59%, 95% CI 35% to 79%). Acceptance rates were broadly comparable across the arms: captain-led: 28/56 (50%); health professional-led: 31/46 (67%); and control: 31/51 (61%). However, rates varied appreciably by club, precluding formal comparison of arms. No infections were identified. Process evaluation confirmed that interventions were delivered in a standardised way but the control arm was unintentionally 'enhanced' by some team captains actively publicising screening events. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with other UK-based community screening models, uptake was high but gaining access to clubs was not always easy. Use of sexual health advisers and team captains to promote screening did not appear to confer additional benefit over a poster-promoted approach. Although the interventions show potential, the broader implications of this strategy for UK male STI screening policy require further investigation.

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Keywords: CHLAMYDIA TRACHOMATIS, GONORRHOEA, INTERVENTION STUDIES, MEN, SCREENING, Adolescent, Adult, Athletes, Behavior Therapy, Diagnostic Tests, Routine, England, Football, Great Britain, Humans, Male, Mass Screening, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Young Adult, Humans, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Diagnostic Tests, Routine, Mass Screening, Intervention Studies, Behavior Therapy, Football, Adolescent, Adult, Great Britain, England, Male, Young Adult, Athletes, Public Health, 1103 Clinical Sciences, 1117 Public Health And Health Services, 1108 Medical Microbiology
SGUL Research Institute / Research Centre: Academic Structure > Infection and Immunity Research Institute (INII)
Journal or Publication Title: Sexually Transmitted Infections
ISSN: 1368-4973
Language: eng
Dates:
DateEvent
1 March 2015Published
15 December 2014Published Online
24 November 2014Accepted
Publisher License: Creative Commons: Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0
Projects:
Project IDFunderFunder ID
RP-PG-0707-10208National Institute for Health Researchhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000272
PubMed ID: 25512674
Web of Science ID: WOS:000349996900013
Go to PubMed abstract
URI: http://sgultest.da.ulcc.ac.uk/id/eprint/108108
Publisher's version: https://doi.org/10.1136/sextrans-2014-051719

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