199902
“Secrets”: Using educational theatre to inform adolescents about HIV risk prevention
Monday, November 9, 2009: 1:30 PM
Lisaann S. Gittner, PhD
,
Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
Kimberly Adams Tufts, DNP, WHNP, FAAN
,
School of Nursing, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA
Background/Significance Adolescents are especially at risk for contracting HIV. Estimates of HIV incidence suggest that at least 50% of the 56,000 new infections each year are among individuals under age 25. Studies have demonstrated that integrating information about HIV prevention into school-based health education programming leads to increased knowledge and decreased high-risk behaviors among adolescents. Objective/Purpose Assess the impact of the HIV prevention educational theatre on adolescent's knowledge of HIV and transmission, perception of social norms for prevention behaviors, intentions regarding risky behaviors and performance of HIV prevention behaviors. Methods This study was conducted in three high schools located in a large Midwestern city. Pre-test/post-test design was used to evaluate the impact of “Secrets”. Adolescents completed pre-tests, then attended a production of “Secrets”. Post-tests were completed immediately after the performance, at 4 months, and at 12 months. Results Significant differences emerged between types of high schools for; increase in correct knowledge (p=0.001), behavioral intentions (p=0.00), and ranking of peers' risk (p=0.000). Traditional high schools had less improvement post performance on all variables when compared to specialty schools (high risk or high achievement schools). Conclusion/Discussion Notably knowledge, social norms, and behavioral intentions differed among participants at baseline and were associated with the differences in the educational climate of individual schools. Friends/ peer pressure had less effect on behavior in nontraditional schools where success driven curricula were employed. Policy changes are needed to allow customization of HIV/AIDS prevention educational interventions to make them more relevant to individual school populations.
Learning Objectives: After the attending the session the participant will be able to:
State the key components of an alternative HIV/AIDS educational program targeted to adolescents.
Review the association between adolescent risky behavior and social norms, behavioral intentions, and the performance of HIV/prevention behaviors.
Review the association between adolescent risky behavior and social norms, behavioral intentions, and the performance of HIV/prevention behaviors.
Keywords: Adolescent Health, HIV Interventions
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Not Answered
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