Increasing parent involvement in youth HIV prevention: a randomized Caribbean study

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Adolescent Health
• Family Studies

Background:

• Rising rates of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among adolescents in the Caribbean necessitate effective prevention strategies.
• Parenting practices, including monitoring and communication, are critical factors influencing adolescent sexual risk behaviors.
• Existing HIV prevention programs require adaptation to address the specific cultural and social contexts of regions like Trinidad and Tobago.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a family HIV workshop designed to enhance parenting skills for adolescent HIV risk reduction.
• To assess the impact of the workshop on parental knowledge, attitudes, communication, and monitoring behaviors related to adolescent sexual health.
• To provide preliminary findings on the efficacy of a culturally adapted HIV prevention intervention in the Caribbean.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 180 primary caregivers and their 12-14-year-old adolescents in Trinidad and Tobago.
• Participants were assigned to either the Trinidad and Tobago family HIV Workshop (intervention group) or a general workshop (control group).
• Pretest and posttest measures assessed parenting skills, HIV knowledge, attitudes toward AIDS, communication, monitoring, and conflict resolution.

Main Results:

• Intervention parents demonstrated significant improvements in HIV knowledge (d = .79) and attitudes toward AIDS (d = .42) compared to controls.
• Enhanced communication with adolescents regarding sex (d = .95), sexual risks, and values (d = .43) was reported by intervention parents.
• Improvements were also observed in parental monitoring (d = .34), reduced parent-adolescent conflicts (d = .30), and decreased parenting hassles (d = .35).
• No significant differences were found between groups in behavioral control, positive parenting techniques, or support network expansion.

Conclusions:

• The Trinidad and Tobago family HIV Workshop shows promise in strengthening parenting skills crucial for adolescent HIV prevention.
• The intervention effectively improved key parental factors associated with reduced adolescent sexual risk exposure.
• Findings support the adaptation and implementation of similar family-centered HIV prevention programs in Trinidad and Tobago and the wider Caribbean region.