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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Elaine A. Borawski, PhD¹, Kimberly Adams-Tufts, ND, WHNP, FAAN², Laura L. Hayman, PhD, RN, FAAN³, Erika S. Trapl, MS¹, and Meredith A. Goodwin, PhD¹. (1) Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Case Western Reserve University, Center for Health Promotion Research, 11430 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44106, 216-368-1024, exb11@case.edu, (2) School of Nursing, Old Dominion University, 2123 Hughes Hall, Norfolk, VA 23529, (3) The Steinhardt School of Education, New York University, 246 Greene Street, New York, NY 10003-6677

Background: Teaching HIV prevention in schools has long been the responsibility of classroom teachers. School nurses, however may be more effective as conveyors of sensitive information. Methods: A NICHD-funded, school-based, group-randomized intervention study involving 1357 9th and 10th grade adolescents from ten schools, half of whom received an HIV prevention curriculum, the other half received a general health promotion curriculum; 25% of classrooms were assigned to be taught by the school nurse. Students were followed for one year post-intervention. Results: Students reported that classroom health teachers tended to be more prepared, more comfortable, and had better control of the classroom. Those taught by school nurses reported significant and sustained changes in condom use beliefs (prevention and hedonistic), condom-based efficacy (negotiation and technical skills) and impulse control efficacy, while those taught by classroom teachers reported more sporadic effects, mostly focused on condom efficacy. Students taught by school nurses were more likely to seek out a health professional to discuss sex-related issues, while students taught by classroom teachers were more likely to use a condom at one year post-intervention. Conclusions: Although students had more positive views of the performance of the classroom teacher, those taught by school nurses were more likely to report significant and sustained changes in a number of cognitive and behavioral outcomes. There is certainly a classroom role for school nurses in the education of adolescents about HIV prevention.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• Identify advantages and disadvantages of school nurses providing classroom based instruction HIV education.
• Describe how students taught by classroom (health) teachers and school nurses differ in educational outcomes (i.e., knowledge, efficacy).
• Discuss possible explanations as to why school nurses may be more effective in teaching adolescents about HIV risk and use of contraceptives.

Keywords: HIV Interventions, School Health Educators

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered