Gaskins S, Beard S; International Conference on AIDS.
Int Conf AIDS. 2000 Jul 9-14; 13: abstract no. TuOrD376.
S. Gaskins, The University of Alabama, Capstone College of Nursing, Box 870358, Tuscaloosa,Alabama 35487, United States, Tel.: +1 205 348 1027, Fax: +1 205 348 5559, E-mail: sgaskins@nursing.ua.edu
Issue: School based HIV/AIDS prevention programs that prepare students with knowledge, attitudes, and skills needed to avoid infection with HIV are encouraged and even mandated in some areas. Most programs target students in middle, junior, or high school. Early elementary HIV/AIDS education has been unfocused and general if done at all. Description: A comprehensive, age-appropriate HIV/AIDS Awareness Education Program was developed and has been implemented yearly since 1995 to all students, kindergarten through fifth grade, at Alberta Elementary School. Teachers, parents, an AIDS Service Organization, the Health Department, the Red Cross and faculty from The University of Alabama worked together to plan essential program content. The students receive not only factual information about HIV disease, but also a message of hope, understanding and compassion for people living with the disease. The school counselor is the coordinator and primary educator in the program. A variety of teaching strategies are used including special videos, stories, and making a "Living Quilt" as an art project. The children participate in the yearly state AIDS conference and local World AIDS Day activities. In the fall of 1999 the program was evaluated for program-improvement. Each students' attitude and knowledge was assessed using a pretest-posttest design. In each age group (kindergarten and first grade, second and third grade, and fourth and fifth grade) there was a significant increase in the students' level of knowledge, and acceptance and attitude towards people who have HIV/AIDS. Conclusions: Classroom education for early elementary children is effective in increasing knowledge and changing beliefs and attitudes about HIV/AIDS. This population is an important target for future programs.
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
- Alabama
- Alberta
- Attitude
- Awareness
- Child
- HIV Infections
- HIV Seropositivity
- Health Education
- Health Planning
- Humans
- Infection
- Knowledge
- Population
- Schools
- Students
- education
Other ID:
UI: 102239466
From Meeting Abstracts