AEGiS-15IAC: [LbOrE38] THE IMPACT OF A HIV AND AIDS LIFESKILLS PROGRAMME ON SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN KWAZULU-NATAL, SOUTH AFRICA: THE NEED FOR FULL IMPLEMENTATION

15th International AIDS Conference

Bangkok, Thailand — July 11-July 16, 2004

[LbOrE38] THE IMPACT OF A HIV AND AIDS LIFESKILLS PROGRAMME ON SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN KWAZULU-NATAL, SOUTH AFRICA: THE NEED FOR FULL IMPLEMENTATION

Int Conf AIDS. 2004 Jul 11-16;15:Abstract No. LbOrE38

S James¹, P Reddy², R Ruiter³, B Van Den Borne³
¹Medical Research Council, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa; ²Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa; ³University of Maastricht, Maastricht, Netherlands

BACKGROUND: As part of a wider National plan the Provincial Department of Education in KwaZulu - Natal in collaboration with other provincial departments, developed and implemented a teacher led lifeskills programme focussing on the prevention of HIV and AIDS. The programme was evaluated to determine whether students exposed to this intense teacher led programme would have more knowledge about HIV and AIDS and its prevention, report more safer sex practices and intentions to practice safer sex and express more positive attitudes towards condom use and people living with AIDS than comparable students who were not taught the programme.

METHOD: A randomised controlled study was implemented amongst grade 9 students in 22 secondary schools. The data was analysed using analysis of variance with repeated measures and logistic regression.

RESULTS: Based on a process evaluation among the teachers at the end of the implementation term, schools were categorised into those that implemented the programme fully (7 schools) and those that implemented the programme partially (4 schools). When compared to each other and a control group (11 schools), findings indicated that students who received the full intervention showed more favourable changes on the specified determinants than those who received the partial programme and those in the control group who received a standard programme. No effects were found on attitudes towards people living with HIV or AIDS, confidence to assert oneself, and reported condom use.

CONCLUSIONS: Teacher training programmes need to critically consider the skills and support structures available to teachers during the implementation period that may enhance the efficiency of programme implementation. In addition the methodology used to facilitate education regarding behaviours requiring more skill for example assertive behaviour and condom use needs to be refined in the teacher training.

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