AIDS/HIV articles published in selected professional health journals: 1981-1990

Journals from five professional associations were reviewed to determine the response to AIDS/HIV in their journal: Association for the Advancement of Health Education (AAHE) and Journal of Health Education; American College Health Association (ACHA) and Journal of American College Health; American Public Health Association (APHA) and American Journal of Public Health; American School Health Association (ASHA) and Journal of School Health, and the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) and Health Education Quarterly. The project posed the following questions: 1) How many articles on AIDS/HIV were published in the selected journals during the 10-year period from 1981 through 1990?; 2) What types of articles were published during the period, such as editorials, recommendations, guidelines, and research?; and 3) What approaches were shown effective in changing knowledge, attitudes, and behavior? The first article appeared in 1984; 239 articles were published in the five journals reviewed. Each journal devoted at least one entire issue to AIDS/HIV. The articles were categorized as either applied (43.9%) or data-based (56.1%). Since most articles with a research focus did not include pretest and posttest measurements, it proved difficult to determine the most effective methods for changing knowledge, attitudes, and behavior. Evaluation methods that assess the effectiveness of interventions in changing knowledge, attitudes, and behavior are needed.