Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome educational program: effects on adolescents' knowledge and attitudes

Although many schools are presenting acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) education programs for adolescents, few have evaluated the effects of the programs. The effects of two different types of program presentation, a lecture or a film, were compared to a no-program condition. Students who received the lecture demonstrated significantly greater knowledge gains than either of the other two groups. The lecture group's greater gain was maintained at the 1-month follow-up, although all three groups showed a decline in knowledge scores from posttest to follow-up. Both educational programs significantly increased students' positive attitudes toward patients with AIDS; there were no differences between the two groups. Positive attitudes decreased equally for both groups from posttest to follow-up, although these scores remained significantly more positive than the pretest scores. Students in both treatment groups showed a slight increase in positive attitudes toward practicing preventive behaviors following the programs, but those attitude scores returned to baseline levels at follow-up. Although educational programs increase knowledge and positive attitudes toward patients with AIDS, they do not appear to have a positive effect on attitudes toward practicing preventive behaviors. More intensive programs may be necessary to encourage behavioral changes.