Effect of a grade 6 HIV risk reduction intervention four years later among students who were and were not enrolled in the study trial.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the long-term impact of HIV-prevention interventions delivered to youth before sexual initiation and the effects of interventions delivered in nonstudy settings.


METHODS
A five-group comparison of HIV knowledge, and condom-use skills, self-efficacy, intentions, and practice among 1,997 grade 10 students attending one of the eight government high schools in Nassau, The Bahamas. Group 1 received an HIV-prevention intervention, Focus on Youth in the Caribbean (FOYC), in grade 6 as part of a randomized trial; group 2 received FOYC as part of the regular school curriculum but outside of the trial; group 3 received the control condition as part of the trial; group 4 received the control condition as part of the school curriculum but outside of the trial; and individuals in group 5 (naive controls) were not enrolled in a school receiving FOYC or the control conditon and did not participate in the trial.


RESULTS
FOYC youth compared with the control youth and naive controls had higher HIV knowledge, condom-use skills, and self-efficacy 4 years later. By subgroups, group 1 demonstrated higher HIV/AIDS knowledge than all groups except group 2, higher condom skills than all groups, and higher condom self-efficacy than Naive Controls. Youth in group 2 demonstrated higher HIV knowledge than youth in groups 3-5. Behavioral effects were not found.


CONCLUSIONS
FOYC delivered to grade 6 students continued to have protective effects 4 years later. Positive effects are present among youth who received FOYC as part of the school curriculum but were not enrolled in the trial.
Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Prevention Center, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan. bstanton@dmc.org
Bonita
B
Stanton
Xinguang
X
Chen
Veronica
V
Koci
Lynette
L
Deveaux
Sonja
S
Lunn
Carole
C
Harris
Nanika
N
Brathwaite
Perry
P
Gomez
Xiaoming
X
Li
Sharon
S
Marshall
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003479:Curriculum; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012736:Sex Education