The Effectiveness of a Behavioral Development Program for AIDS Prevention Among Secondary School Fourth Grade Students in Vientiane Capitol, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic

Abstract

AIDS is one of the most serious health problems of the world. At present situation of
AIDS in the world. An estimated 30 million people were died of AIDS, 34 million people
living with HIV. And 2.7 million people were newly infected with HIV. The Laos People’s
Democratic Republic has also been affected by the AIDS epidemic. The estimation of 9,600
Laotians are currently thought to be HIV infected. By 2015 that number is assumed to
increase to 14,000 Laotians.
This study was quasi-experimental research and aimed to study the effectiveness
of a health behavioral development program for AIDS prevention among secondary school
fourth grade students in Vientiane Capital, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. A sample
of 68 students was equally divided into two groups; as experimental group and the comparison
group. The experimental group was received interventions of program which consisted of
different activities such as Lectures with media, games, brain storming, role playing, demonstration,
and practice and group discussions. Data were collected by questionnaires and data
analysis, descriptive data were used descriptive statistics such as percentage, means, standard
deviations, and comparative data were used the paired sample t-tests and independent t-test
statistics. The significance levels were set at p-value < 0.05 and the 95% confidence interval
(95% CI).
The results of showed that the experimental group had mean scores for
knowledge, self-awareness and empathy, creative and critical thinking, decision making and
problem solving that were both higher than before intervention and were also significantly
higher than those of the comparison group (p-value<0.01). The communication abilities and
interpersonal relationships of the experimental group were also higher than both before
intervention and those of the comparison group as well (p-value<0.05).
Suggestions: 1) To build a group of volunteers students for AIDS prevention in
school because when students have some problems that they were consult their friends. 2)
Utilized this program for AIDS prevention among other youth who do not study in school.