HIV prevention in sub-Saharan Africa: a multilevel analysis of message frames and their social determinants

In light of the great threat that HIV/AIDS poses in sub-Saharan Africa, the current study assesses HIV/AIDS posters from this region with specific reference to health message frames, including HIV sources, consequences, self-efficacy, preventive means, and barriers and benefits to employing such means of prevention. There is a two-step methodology. First, the content of HIV/AIDS posters from 15 sub-Saharan African countries was coded for the six health message frames. Second, relationships between the health message frames and four social determinants (HIV rate, HIV awareness, condom use and uncertainty avoidance (UAI)) were assessed with hierarchical linear modeling (HLM). Analysis indicates that self-efficacy is the most common frame, but that almost one-quarter of the posters has none of the six health message frames. HLM indicates some favorable findings, including that health message frames are used most often in countries with the most troubling levels of HIV awareness and condom use. Less favorably, health message frames are used least common in countries that have high levels of UAI and high HIV rates. Improvements for related media practices and policy are articulated.