Communication as a Protective Factor: Evaluation of a Life Skills HIV/AIDS Prevention Program for Mexican Elementary-School Students

Abstract

Literature suggests that communication is a protective factor against high-risk sexual behavior. This study assessed the impact of a fourth-grade communication-centered life skills program on attitudes, norms, self-efficacy, behaviors, and intentions toward communication about difficult subjects. Participants included 1,581 low-income Mexican elementary-school children, divided into experimental and control groups. Teachers were trained to replicate the program as part of the school curriculum over 15 to 20 weeks. Students completed self-report questionnaires before and after the program. Multilevel analyses demonstrated the program's statistically significant positive impact on communication about attitudes, self-efficacy, intentions, and behavior; perception of sociocultural norms regarding communication transformed as a result of the program. Gender significantly predicted differences in communication: with respect to attitudes, self-efficacy, and intentions. The results show that early intervention programs targeting communication about difficult subjects can prevent risky sexual behavior and its consequences (e.g., HIV/AIDS) and influence perception of norms and gender roles.