Youth AIDS Prevention Project
An Evidence-Based Practice
This practice has been Archived and is no longer maintained.
Description
The Youth AIDS Prevention Project (YAPP) was a research program designed to address the issue of high rate of HIV infection among African-American adolescents in Chicago, Illinois. YAPP was implemented in middle schools in the Chicago metropolitan areas that met the following criteria: low income level, high rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and teen pregnancies, large school dropout rates, and low reading scores. Schools in the neighborhood with such characteristics were likely to be at greatest risk for high prevalence of HIV infection and transmission, and therefore were selected for the study.
YAPP was a two-year intervention program, spanning the 1991-1992 to 1992-1993 school years, primarily targeted toward seventh and eighth grade African-American students. It combined lectures with social skill building, group activities and parent support to increase student’s knowledge, attitude and intention toward HIV/AIDS, STD transmission and pregnancy. YAPP also promoted adoption of healthy sexual behavior such as condom use. The social cognitive theory and social influences model of behavioral change were the foundation in developing the curriculum. Trained health educators delivered the curriculum in 15 sessions over a three-week period.
YAPP was a two-year intervention program, spanning the 1991-1992 to 1992-1993 school years, primarily targeted toward seventh and eighth grade African-American students. It combined lectures with social skill building, group activities and parent support to increase student’s knowledge, attitude and intention toward HIV/AIDS, STD transmission and pregnancy. YAPP also promoted adoption of healthy sexual behavior such as condom use. The social cognitive theory and social influences model of behavioral change were the foundation in developing the curriculum. Trained health educators delivered the curriculum in 15 sessions over a three-week period.
Goal / Mission
The goal of YAPP was to increase awareness of risky sexual behaviors and to reduce the risk of HIV and STD infection associated with such behaviors.
Results / Accomplishments
Ten school districts receiving the comprehensive program were compared to five control school districts that received only basic HIV/ AIDS education. At the end of the intervention, students in the program were reported to show higher protective behavior compared to the control students: the YAPP group reported higher condoms use with foam (nanoxynol-9) in the past 12 months (24.3%) than control group (14.5%) (p<0.01). Among students who reported to have sexual intercourse in the past 30 days, YAPP students reported statistically higher use of condoms with foam than the control group (OR: 2.46; p<0.1).
When assessed for future protective behavior, YAPP students’ intention to use condoms was significantly higher than control students (OR: 3.36; p<0.001). Male students were more likely to use condom with foam than female students over the next 12 months (OR: 3.36; p<0.01). The study suggested that a school-based comprehensive sexual education program can make a positive impact on awareness, attitude and behavior change in protective sexual behaviors among adolescents.
When assessed for future protective behavior, YAPP students’ intention to use condoms was significantly higher than control students (OR: 3.36; p<0.001). Male students were more likely to use condom with foam than female students over the next 12 months (OR: 3.36; p<0.01). The study suggested that a school-based comprehensive sexual education program can make a positive impact on awareness, attitude and behavior change in protective sexual behaviors among adolescents.
About this Promising Practice
Organization(s)
University of Illinois, Chicago
Primary Contact
Susan R. Levy, PhD
Institute for Health Research and Policy
University of Illinois at Chicago (MC 275)
418 Westside Research Office Bldg.
1747 West Roosevelt Road
Chicago, IL 60608
312-996-1167
slevy@uic.edu
http://www.ihrp.uic.edu/
Institute for Health Research and Policy
University of Illinois at Chicago (MC 275)
418 Westside Research Office Bldg.
1747 West Roosevelt Road
Chicago, IL 60608
312-996-1167
slevy@uic.edu
http://www.ihrp.uic.edu/
Topics
Health / Adolescent Health
Health / Immunizations & Infectious Diseases
Health / Immunizations & Infectious Diseases
Organization(s)
University of Illinois, Chicago
Source
Urban Institute
Date of publication
Apr 1995
Date of implementation
1991
Geographic Type
Urban
Location
Chicago
For more details
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1746-...
http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/TeenRiskTaking_2....
http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/TeenRiskTaking_2....
Target Audience
Teens, Racial/Ethnic Minorities