Impact of health education program on knowledge about AIDS and HIV transmission in students of secondary schools in Buraidah city, Saudi Arabia: an exploratory study.
BACKGROUND
Accurate information about acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is important for their prevention.


OBJECTIVE
This study is intended to assess knowledge on AIDS in students of secondary schools in Buraidah City and to measure the effect of a health education program on their knowledge about AIDS in general, modes of HIV transmission and the degree of their misperception about the transmission of the disease through casual contact.


METHODS
A well-designed health education program using personal communication and visual media techniques was conducted for 483 secondary school students in Buraidah secondary schools during the year 1997. Pre- and post-tests were done to examine their knowledge about AIDS.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study pointed out that a health education program on AIDS for students of secondary schools greatly and significantly improved their scores on general knowledge on AIDS views on its transmission and misperception of AIDS (p < 0.01). Continuous in-ice programs for secondary students are recommended.
Saleh
M A
MA
Medical Education and Research Center, Saudi Arabia.
al-Ghamdi
Y S
YS
al-Yahia
O A
OA
Shaqran
T M
TM
Mosa
A R
AR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001296:Audiovisual Aids; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission*; D006266:Health Education / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D012572:School Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*