Evaluating AMP!, an arts-based, multiple intervention, peer-education HIV/AIDS prevention program for youth

Background: Among the public health approaches to prevention of HIV/AIDS, interventions using theater and performing arts to convey information about social norms, peer norms and protective health behaviors are among the most innovative. However, few formal evaluations have been conducted to explore their effectiveness. One intervention, AMP!, is an Arts-based, Multiple intervention, Peer-education program created by the UCLA Art|Global Health Center to educate high school youth about sexual health. AMP! is designed to inform teens about high-risk behaviors associated with HIV transmission, reduce stigma towards people living with HIV/AIDS, and increase the rate of testing for HIV and other STIs. Using a structured approach, we developed a plan for evaluating this innovative, arts-based initiative that can be used in geographically diverse communities. Methods: We used the CDC Evaluation Framework to identify stakeholders, describe the program's guiding theory, describe the focus of the evaluation, identify evaluation methods and indicators, plan for data analysis and interpretation, and plan for disseminating results. Results: Using a quasi-experimental study design and a mixed methods approach to data collection, the AMP! Evaluation Plan addresses the process and outcomes of the program on both the high school student participants and the undergraduate student performers who deliver the intervention's main components. Conclusion: Theater-based HIV prevention interventions offer a creative approach to working with youth. Weak or non-existent evaluations of these programs limit our understanding of whether and how these programs can achieve their objectives. Only through rigorous evaluation and dissemination can researchers validate and replicate these innovative interventions.