Health Education Research · 2004 · 86 citations · 14 references
Public HealthHealth EducationHealth PromotionAdolescent HealthHiv PreventionSexual Health EducationAdolescent Health EducationAdolescent Health PromotionAdolescent Hiv PreventionInfectious Disease PreventionPrevention Of Sexual TransmissionSexual Risk ReductionCondom Use Among AdolescentsCondom Use IntentionsControl Group DesignFuture IntentionsReasoned Action ApproachSchool-based Behavior InterventionSchool-based Behavioral InterventionTheory Of Reasoned Action
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a cognitive-behavioral peer-facilitated school-based HIV/AIDS education program on knowledge, attitudes and behavior among primary and secondary students in Belize. Students (N = 150) were recruited from six schools in Belize City. A quasi-experimental research design was used to assess the impact of a 3-month intervention. Seventy-five students received the intervention and 75 students served as controls. The intervention was guided by constructs from the Theory of Reasoned Action and Social Cognitive Theory. At the follow-up assessment, the intervention group showed higher HIV knowledge, were more likely to report condom use, had more positive attitudes toward condoms and were more likely to report future intentions to use condoms than the students in the control group. Overall, the findings indicate that the intervention had a positive impact on participants. Given the increasing rate of HIV/AIDS in Belize, especially among adolescents, this study has important implications for the country of Belize.
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