Parent to parent: preventing adolescent exposure to HIV

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Adolescent Health
• Health Communication

Background:

• Parental involvement in adolescent health education is crucial for promoting healthy sexual behaviors.
• Urban high schools present unique challenges and opportunities for implementing health promotion programs.
• Effective communication strategies are needed to address adolescent risks like human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) exposure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of involving parents in school-based health promotion efforts.
• To encourage open communication about health-promoting sexual behavior between adults and adolescents.
• To explore a community-based model for adolescent health education.

Main Methods:

• A 2-year pilot program involving public health nurses (PHNs) and parent association leaders from 10 urban high schools.
• Training 17 parent trainers to deliver presentations on adolescent sexual health risks, sex education facts, and healthy decision-making skills.
• Parent trainers delivered two presentations to parent groups during the first year.

Main Results:

• The program successfully trained parent trainers to deliver information on HIV risks, sex education, and healthy choices.
• The pilot demonstrated a feasible model for engaging parents in school-based adolescent health promotion.
• Criteria for assessing program impact and community diffusion were proposed.

Conclusions:

• Involving parents through trained parent trainers is a feasible approach for school-based adolescent health promotion.
• This model can effectively facilitate communication about health-promoting sexual behaviors between adults and adolescents.
• The strategy holds potential for community-based education on various health issues beyond sexual health.