Impacts of a Peer-Group Intervention on HIV-Related Knowledge, Attitudes, and Personal Behaviors for Urban Hospital Workers in Malawi

Abstract

This report describes the effects of a peer-group intervention on Malawian urban hospital workers’ HIV-related personal knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. More than 850 clinical and nonclinical hospital workers received the intervention. Evaluation used independent surveys of a sample of workers at baseline (N = 366) and postintervention (N = 561). Compared with the baseline survey, after the intervention, workers had higher knowledge of HIV transmission and prevention; more positive attitudes including more hope, less stigmatization of persons with HIV, more positive attitudes toward HIV testing and condom use, and higher self-efficacy for practicing safer sex and for community prevention; more reported recent personal HIV tests, more discussion of safer sex with partners, and more reported community HIV prevention activities. However, health workers’ risky sexual behaviors did not differ at baseline and postintervention. The intervention should be strengthened to support more sexual risk reduction and be made available to all health workers in Malawi.

Impact of a Peer-Group Intervention on Occupation-Related Behaviors for Urban Hospital Workers in Malawi

“…A previous publication also documented that health workers had higher general HIV knowledge, more positive attitudes, and increased HIV testing and community involvement in HIV prevention after this same intervention; they did not, however, report fewer risky sexual behaviors (Kaponda et al, in press). Results also documented that workers at all levels benefited from the intervention.…”

“…The first focused on health workers’ personal HIV-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors (Kaponda et al, in press). In this paper we report the intervention’s effects on work-related changes, specifically UP knowledge and practices, reported client teaching, and respectful interactions with clients and families.…”

Mano a Mano for Health Professions Students in Chile: A Pilot HIV Prevention Program

“…An HIV intervention for rural health workers in Malawi was found to be effective in improving both personal and job-related HIV knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors for rural and urban health workers, including more use of standard precautions, more HIV prevention teaching, and respectful interactions with clients (Chimango et al, 2009; Kaponda et al, 2009; Norr et al, 2006). Participants’ general knowledge of universal precautions (cleaning, glove wearing, hand washing, and sharps) improved from 77.43% at baseline to 79.23% at postintervention, a small yet statistically significant development (Chimango et.…”

“…Self-efficacy for safer sex increased significantly from 2.42 at baseline to 2.82 at postintervention on a scale from 1 ( not confident ) to 3 ( very confident ). Finally, attitudes of stigma and blame were reduced from 1.46 at baseline to 1.09 at postintervention on a scale of 1 ( not to be blamed ), 2 ( I don’t know ), and 3 ( should be blamed ; Kaponda and colleagues, 2009). …”

Research Brief: Community Consultation to Develop an Acceptable and Effective Adolescent HIV Prevention Intervention

“…The MDRR has established effectiveness with low-income African American adolescent girls in Chicago (Dancy, Crittenden, & Talashek, 2006). Elements of the adult peer group intervention, Mzake ndi Mzake (Friend to Friend), already being implemented in the same communities, were also incorporated into the adolescent intervention Kaponda et al, 2002). Finally, the intervention was pilot-tested and further refined based on experiences with offering the intervention for rural adolescents.…”