title: Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome educational program: effects on adolescents' knowledge and attitudes.
abstract: Although many schools are presenting acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) education programs for adolescents, few have evaluated the effects of the programs. The effects of two different types of program presentation, a lecture or a film, were compared to a no-program condition. Students who received the lecture demonstrated significantly greater knowledge gains than either of the other two groups. The lecture group's greater gain was maintained at the 1-month follow-up, although all three groups showed a decline in knowledge scores from posttest to follow-up. Both educational programs significantly increased students' positive attitudes toward patients with AIDS; there were no differences between the two groups. Positive attitudes decreased equally for both groups from posttest to follow-up, although these scores remained significantly more positive than the pretest scores. Students in both treatment groups showed a slight increase in positive attitudes toward practicing preventive behaviors following the programs, but those attitude scores returned to baseline levels at follow-up. Although educational programs increase knowledge and positive attitudes toward patients with AIDS, they do not appear to have a positive effect on attitudes toward practicing preventive behaviors. More intensive programs may be necessary to encourage behavioral changes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City.
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Huszti
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Clopton
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Mason
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000293:Adolescent; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009825:Oklahoma