Teenagers' beliefs about AIDS education and physicians' perceptions about them

A survey of 189 Louisiana teenagers and 80 Louisiana family physicians revealed that the teenagers overwhelmingly preferred to learn about acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) from a physician. This result stimulated an interest in learning whether family physicians shared adolescents' opinions that they are the best teachers for AIDS education and whether family physicians understand adolescents' knowledge and beliefs about AIDS sufficiently well to be effective AIDS educators. Family physicians' responses to a questionnaire based, in part, on the Health Belief Model were compared with teenagers' responses about their knowledge, health beliefs, and preferred format and method of learning about AIDS. Results indicated that family physicians' predictions about teenagers' knowledge and beliefs about AIDS were not always accurate, but, except when physicians underestimated the teenagers' perceived obstacles to AIDS prevention, the data suggested that physicians would be effective in teaching teenagers about AIDS. Family physicians showed good agreement with teens in estimating their desired method and format for learning about AIDS, including their preference for a physician instructor.