Mapping an HIV/STD prevention curriculum for Zambian in-school settings.
HIV/AIDS poses grave risk to human development in sub-Saharan Africa. Evidence-based interventions that are rooted in local culture could help efforts to prevent threats to human development from HIV/AIDS. We used concept mapping (Concept System, 2006 ) to construct the components and content of a locally developed HIV/AIDS curriculum for use by secondary schools in Lusaka, Zambia. Participants were school counsellors (n = 14), youth health program officers (n = 7), and regular education teachers (n = 3) from the education, health, and youth development agencies in Lusaka, Zambia (males = 11; females = 13; mean age 38; SD = 15 years). Concept mapping yielded six statement clusters defining preliminary components of a locally grounded in-school HIV/AIDS prevention curriculum and the content items that define these components: (1) life skills education (18 items), (2) sexuality and reproductive health (10 items), (3) treatment, care and support (13 items), (4) counselling (12 items), (5) basic facts about HIV/AIDS (11 items), and (6) dissemination of information about HIV/AIDS (11 items). Zambian locally constructed constructs for an HIV/STD prevention curriculum overlap those promoted by public health programs in the country and internationally.
Department of Counselor Education, Counseling Psychology and Rehabilitation Services, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802-3110, USA. exm31@psu.edu
Elias
E
Mpofu
Frank
F
Lawrence
Mary Shilalukey
MS
Ngoma
Seter
S
Siziya
Jacob R S
JR
Malungo
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003469:Culture; D003479:Curriculum; D003906:Developing Countries; D004493:Education; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017145:Models, Educational; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012572:School Health Services; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015024:Zambia