Welcome to Project SHAG!
Project SHAG is a healthy relationships program designed specifically for guys 13 years of age and older.
The program is delivered over text messaging, and teens across the country are being included in a research study to see if the program helps teens make healthier choices.
Maybe your son, nephew, or even your child’s best friend has mentioned Project SHAG to you. Whatever the case, welcome to our project website!
Frequently Asked Questions
You might have some questions about what this is all about, so we’ll try our best to answer them. Click on the questions below to see its answer.
Who is conducting this research?
This program is being conducted by the Center for Innovative Public Health Research, a non-profit research organization dedicated to developing unique technology-based research and health education programs to improve the lives of young people. This program is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health.
How much will this cost?
As long as the teen receiving the text messages has an unlimited text messaging plan, his time in the program costs absolutely nothing!
How can teens be in a program without my / his parent’s permission?
We have worked closely with our ethical review board to make sure that we have designed a program that best protects the safety of the teens in our program. This includes allowing them to make their own decision about whether to take part in the research and not tell his parents if he does not want to.
Why are teens getting so many text messages?
There has been a lot of compelling research showing how effective text messages can be at improving healthy behaviors but one or two texts won’t do the trick – more are needed to fully discuss important issues. That’s why we send about 6-10 messages a day for about 8 weeks. This may seem like a lot – but for the average teen guy who sends and receives about 40 messages per day – navigating day-to-day life while receiving many messages per day is not uncommon. Ultimately, we want to make sure our program has a significant impact on young people’s health.
Will messages come will teens are at school?
This is one of the great things about this program – it’s designed to respect school policies. Text messages will only be sent during times he specified as being non-school hours.
What if something comes up and teens need to pause their messages for a few days?
He can always text “snooze” to the program and the messages will stop for the time period he requests.
What if a teen messages about a serious health issue, like depression or anxiety?
We take the needs of our participants very seriously. This program isn’t intended to assist in an emergency, and in a crisis participants should always call 9-1-1 or a crisis hotline. At the same time, we fully understand that working with adolescents means that stress, trauma, mental illness, violence, and other issues can be present in the lives of our participants, and our team is prepared to provide appropriate resources and referrals to participants as needed.
Why is this only for teen guys?
We’ve tailored this program to only focus on health issues facing young men. As you’re probably aware, young men and young women have many different concerns and behaviors regarding their health, so it makes sense to tailor programs for them separately.
I have a question that’s not on your website. Who can I talk to?
You can contact, Michele Ybarra, the Program Manager at the Center for Innovative Public Health Research, with additional questions. Feel free to contact her by email at michele@InnovativePublicHealth.org or by phone at 877-302-6858, ext. 801.