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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Ronald P Strauss, DMD, PhD1, Charles M. van der Horst, MD2, Catherine Boland Emrick, MPH3, Rosemary G. McKaig, MPH, PhD3, Ralph H. Raasch, PhD4, and Chris M. McQuiston, PhD5. (1) UNC School of Dentistry, UNC-CH Center for AIDS Research, C.B. # 7450, Chapel Hill, OH 27599-7450, 919-966-2788, ron_strauss@unc.edu, (2) School of Medicine, University of North Carolina @ Chapel Hill, 547 Burnett-Womack Building CB#7400, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, (3) Center For AIDS Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Dental Ecology, CB # 7450, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7450, (4) School of Pharmacy, UNC-Chapel Hill, C.B. # 7360, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7360, (5) School of Nursing, UNC at Chapel Hill, C.B. # 7460, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7460
Background: HIV-related knowledge and attitude change occurs with educational programs, however few such programs have been developed and tested for universities or schools as a public health intervention. The epidemic has raised issues that are of importance to individuals from varied social and educational backgrounds. An interdisciplinary, credit-bearing, annual, university course on AIDS has enrolled 175-550 students per semester since 1987. The course combines lectures from health and social science disciplines and has an interdisciplinary faculty. AIDS is dealt with not only as a disease, but also as a case study of how societies cope with contagion, stigma, disability, and access to scarce resources. Implications for secondary school health education are examined.Methods: Pre- and post-course questionnaires assessed behaviors, attitudes and student responses to the course. Results: Behavioral and attitudinal changes occurred over the course. 68% of students in 2001 reported that their attitudes about people living with HIV had changed. 14% indicated that they had sought HIV testing as a consequence of the course. 25% reported changing their HIV risk behaviors as a function of the course. 37% noted that the course was relevant to their emerging career plans and 11% indicated that they had changed their career plans in response to the course. 41% said the course “had changed the way in which they would conduct their future work.” Conclusions: An interdisciplinary public health and curricular approach can be used to educate students who are future community members about HIV/AIDS. High Schools and colleges are in a unique position to initiate similar educational programs, demonstrating in education the interdisciplinary nature of public health.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Adolescent Health, School Health Educators
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.