Peer-led HIV Prevention Education

Peer-led HIV Prevention Education

OVERVIEW

Peer-led HIV Prevention Education employed high school peers to educate high school students around a variety of HIV-related topics, including HIV transmission and prevention knowledge, risk perception, and prevention, communication, and negotiation skills. Using an adapted version of the Healthy Oakland Teens Peer-led AIDS Prevention Curriculum and implemented in Rome, Italy, the program randomly assigned 9 high schools to receive peer-led HIV instruction while the other 9 high schools received teacher-led HIV instruction. The program spanned a total of 10 hours, which were broken down into 5 sessions. At the 5-month post-test, classrooms receiving peer-led instruction exhibited significant improvement in their knowledge score compared with teacher-led instruction. However, there were no impacts on attitudes, risk perception, and prevention skills. There were also no impacts on condom usage or number of sexual partners within the past 3 months.

DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM

Target population: High school students.

Peer-led HIV Prevention Education employs high school peers to educate high school students around a variety of HIV-related topics, including HIV transmission and prevention knowledge, risk perception, and prevention, communication, and negotiation skills. Using an adapted version of the Healthy Oakland Teens Peer-led AIDS Prevention Curriculum and implemented in Rome, Italy, and based on Social Learning Theory, the program spans a total of 10 hours, which were broken down into 5 sessions. Peers, selected from each class, were chosen by teachers and other experts, based on a variety of personal characteristics: charisma, credibility, communication and relationship-building skills. Peer leaders attend a 5-day training, led by psychologists. Additionally, teachers, selected by the school headmaster, attend a 6-hour training led by healthcare workers.

EVALUATION(S) OF PROGRAM

Borgia P, Marinacci C, Schifano P, Perruci C (2005). Is peer education the best approach for HIV prevention in schools? Findings from a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Adolescent Health, 36, 508-516.

Evaluated population: 1,295 students, from 18 high schools in Rome, Italy, comprised the study sample, with a median age of 18 years, and one-half (51%) were sexually active at baseline. After school randomization, 613 students were slotted to receive peer-led HIV education instruction while the remaining 682 students were to receive the teacher-led HIV education instruction.

Approach: Schools were randomly assigned to either receive the peer-led (n=9) or teacher-led (n=9) HIV education curriculum. Impacts were evaluated through self-administered questionnaires, which assessed: sexual behavior over time and within past 3 months, including condom usage and number of sexual partners; knowledge of HIV transmission and prevention; prevention, communication, negotiation skills; risk perception; and attitudes towards persons living with AIDS. Questionnaires were distributed at pre-test, prior to the education program, as well as five months after the education program, at post-test.

Results: Among the peer-led group, there was a significant improvement in the knowledge score compared with the teacher-led group. However, there were no significant differences between the teacher-led and peer-led groups with changes in attitudes, risk perception, and prevention skills. There were also no significant differences between the peer-led and teacher-led groups in student-reported condom use or number of sexual partners in the past 3 months.

While both teacher-led and peer-led classes experienced attrition, the percentage was higher among the teacher-led classrooms (27%) compared with the peer-led classrooms (20%). Questions were also raised about the method used in selecting peer leaders, and the authors acknowledge the possibility that some peer leaders were nominated by teachers based on high academic grades rather than communication and relationship-building skills. Furthermore, the authors conclude that, while peer leaders were more effective in improving knowledge, it was costlier to implement peer-led instruction than teacher-led instruction and therefore recommend additional cost-effective analyses. It should be noted that both approaches were related to increases over time in knowledge, skills, attitudes, and perception of risks, however.

SOURCES FOR MORE INFORMATION

References

For more information about the curriculum used, please see: University of California-San Francisco. (1995). Healthy Oakland Teens Peer-led AIDS Prevention Curriculum. San Francisco: The Institute.

http://www.caps.ucsf.edu/projects/HOT/index.php

SUMMARY & CATEGORIZATION

Program categorized in this guide according to the following:

Evaluated participant ages: 16-18 / Program age ranges in the guide: 15-21

Program components: school-based

Measured outcomes: education and cognitive development; teen pregnancy and reproductive health.

KEYWORDS: Youth (16+), High School, Co-ed, School-based, STD/HIV/AIDS

Program information last updated on July 8, 2009.

		© Child Trends 2003