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American Public Health Association
133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition
December 10-14, 2005
Philadelphia, PA
APHA 2005
 
3182.0: Monday, December 12, 2005 - 12:45 PM

Abstract #113154

A community-based approach to constructing prevention messages: A collaboration between health department and community members to create HIV prevention artwork

Clea C. Sarnquist, MPH and Yvonne A. Maldonado, MD. Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Cypress Hall E, 550 Via Ortega, Stanford, CA 94305, 650-736-0636, cleas@stanford.edu

Issues: HIV prevention images and messages must be culturally appropriate and targeted, however, the process of creating such materials is often difficult and expensive. Description: This paper is an example of a community and health department collaboration aimed at engaging the target audience to create inexpensive, culturally appropriate social marketing materials. Specifically, high-risk teenagers participated in a HIV prevention educational session and were then invited them to submit HIV prevention artwork to a contest. The education session was evaluated with pre- and post-tests. This intervention was created, and artwork was judged, by a diverse coalition of community leaders and HIV prevention experts, including community-based organizations, hospitals, county healthcare workers, health insurance plans, and an arts coalition who meet quarterly over a two year period. The winning art was used on a variety of social marketing materials. Lessons learned: Appropriate social marketing materials were created inexpensively and relatively quickly. In addition, the high-risk teens who attended the educational sessions showed considerable improvement on both knowledge and behavior scales as a result of the session, with as much as a 50% increase in knowledge on some post-test questions. There were also unanticipated benefits; for example the art contest awards ceremony was well-attended by the press, so the media spread the prevention messages before the social marketing campaign was even launched. Recommendation: This collaborative intervention may serve as a best practice model for others who are attempting to create effective, inexpensive social marketing materials while creatively engaging the community in HIV prevention efforts.

Learning Objectives: At the end of this session, each participant should be able to

Keywords: Community Collaboration, Prevention

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

[ Recorded presentation ] Recorded presentation

Reaching Out with Prevention and Service to Individuals At-risk or Living With HIV/AIDS

The 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition (December 10-14, 2005) of APHA