The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #67860

Sanjana Ajey Bhardwaj, MD, MPH, Department of Community Health and Psychiatry, University of the West Indies, MONA Campus, Gibralter Camp Road, Kingston, 7, Jamaica, (876) 970 0377, drsanjana_b@yahoo.com, Thelma Sequeira, MBBS, DPH, Retd, Assistant Health Officer, Medical Officer (Schools), Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation, G/ North Municipal Ward Office, Third Floor, R.S. Savant Marg, Dadar West, Mumbai, 400028, India, Snigdha Mukherjee, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, University of Arkansas for Medical Science, 4301 W. Markham St. #554, Little Rock, AR 72205, Prakash M Gurnani, MBBS, Program Officer, Health and Nutrition, UNICEF, Andheri West, Mumbai, India, Evelet Sequeira, MD, Medical Officer (Schools), G /North Municipal Ward Office, AIDS Prevention Education Programme, R.K. Savant Marg, Dadar West, Mumbai, India, Katharine E Stewart, PhD, Behavioral Medicine Unit, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1717 11th Ave. South, Suite 401, Birmingham, AL 35294, sibylle Kristensen, ms, co director, fogarty international, UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA, BIRMINGHAM, bevill buiding, 19th street, birmingham, AL 35205, and Dr.Sten Vermund, Sparkman Center for International Public Health Education, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1665 University Boulevard RPHB 437, Birmingham, AL 35294.

AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is a human tragedy. India, second only to South Africa in the number of HIV cases in a single country, had an estimated total of 3.9 million people living with HIV/AIDS at the end of 2001. A vulnerable group to this epidemic is the adolescent population attending night schools in the city of Mumbai. Many students from this group live independently without a family support system. There is a need to design developmentally appropriate HIV risk reduction intervention for adolescents. Developmental risk factors include peer influence and perceived invulnerability to health risks. Will a peer educator be more effective in meeting the needs of these adolescents in night schools? The study attempted to answer this question. Formative evaluation was conducted to examine the feasibility and sustainability of having the peer educator as the interventionist as compared to the teacher. Questions like what are the determinants of peer educator volunteerism? What individual and programmatic factors are associated with effective job performance and continuity (e.g. literacy level of the peer educator, compensation, supervision and support)? What constitutes an effective peer educator program (e.g., length of training, curriculum content, training methodology) in terms of peer educator job performance and satisfaction, and behavioral outcomes in the intended audience? What constitutes an effective supervision and support program for HIV / AIDS peer educators? The results of the evaluation helped to understand the feasibility and sustainability of peer educator programs in a developing country setting.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the session, participants will be able to:
• Understand the various aspects of a training workshop for adolescent peer educators 2.Identify the facilitators and barriers to a peer educator program for adolescents in a developing country situation 2.Apply the lessons learned to peer eduator programs in different settings.

Keywords: Peer Education, Adolescents, International

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.