Peer-led interventions to reduce HIV risk of youth: A review
Section snippets
Method
Evaluated prevention programs were located by searching literature databases such as Psychological Literature (PsychLit), Population Information Program (POPLINE), Sociological Abstracts, and MEDLINE; the tables of contents of journals that published articles evaluating interventions with an HIV/AIDS content between 1994 and 2008; and publication lists from international organizations such as the United Nations Joint Commission on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the World Health Organization Global
Interventions
Twenty-five evaluation studies applied to 24 interventions (the intervention Entre Nous Jeunes was delivered and evaluated separately in two different sites) were located. The unit of analysis in this paper is the 24 interventions. Of these, 14 were delivered in countries of sub-Saharan Africa, 7 in countries in Asia and the Pacific, and 1 each in Turkey, Russia and South America. Ten used both quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods, 6 only quantitative and 9 only qualitative. Table 1
Discussion
The purpose of this review was to synthesize what is known about peer-led community based interventions in low-income countries with the intent of informing on-going and future programming decisions. As discussed above, our review of 24 programs indicates that peer-led interventions of diverse forms and content can produce positive change in areas related to HIV prevention, especially knowledge, community norms, and condom use. The mixed results for changing sexual behavior suggest that peer
Conclusions
These results suggest that peer-led interventions are able to reach large numbers of youth when they are delivered at a scale designed for such reach. They can be effective in changing community norms, connecting youth to services, and distributing HIV prevention resources. Those that evaluated specific changes among youth demonstrated success at increasing knowledge and the use of condoms. Changes in other areas of sexual behavior were not as consistent across programs. The ability of programs
Eleanor Maticka-Tyndale is a University Professor of Sociology and holds a Canada Research Chair in Social Justice and Sexual Health at the University of Windsor, Canada. HIV prevention among youth is one of her primary areas of research. She has completed evaluation studies of interventions in Thailand and Kenya.
References (49)
- et al.
Participatory action research on HIV/AIDS through a popular theatre approach in Tanzania
Evaluation and Program Planning
(2002) - et al.
West African Youth Initiative: Outcome of a reproductive health education program
Journal of Adolescent Health
(2001) - et al.
School-based HIV prevention programmes for African youth
Social Science and Medicine
(2004) Evaluation of HIV/AIDS peer education projects in Zambia
Evaluation and Program Planning
(2002)- et al.
Is social capital associated with HIV risk in rural South Africa?
Social Science & Medicine
(2008) Defining peer education
Journal of Adolescence
(1999)- et al.
Working with young people—Towards and agenda for sexual health
Sexual and Relationship Therapy
(2000) - et al.
A multi-sectoral approach to providing reproductive health information and services to young people in Western Kenya: Kenya adolescent reproductive health project
(2004) - Auerbach, J. (2008). Confronting the “evidence” in evidence-based HIV prevention: Summary report. San Francisco AIDS...
- et al.
Peer education in the 90s: A literature review of utility and effectiveness
The Health Educator, Spring 2001 Edition
(2001)
Improving adolescent reproductive health in Bangladesh
Letting girls play: The Mathare Youth Sports Association's football program for girls
Sexual health in a young city in Peru: A community-based intervention
Sexual Health Exchange
Creating environments that support peer education: Experiences from HIV/AIDS-prevention in South Africa
Health Education
Community HIV prevention interventions: Theoretical and methodological considerations
Improving the reproductive health of adolescents in Senegal
Mainstreaming adolescent reproductive health in Senegal: Enhancing utilization of the findings from the Youth Reproductive Health Project
Relaying the message of safer sex: Condom races for community-based skills training
Health Education Research
Young people, AIDS, and STIs: Peer approaches in developing countries
Peer tutoring in academic settings
Evaluation designs for adequacy, plausibility and probability of public health programme performance and impact
International Journal of Epidemiology
Health aides: Student involvement in a university health center program
Journal of American College Health Association
Cited by (115)
Can Peer-based Interventions Improve Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Outcomes? An Overview of Reviews
2023, Journal of Adolescent HealthLong-term effects of a peer-led asthma self-management program on asthma outcomes in adolescent peer leaders
2021, Patient Education and CounselingCitation Excerpt :This is also an opportune time for peer leaders to connect with an adult supervisor and fellow peer leaders in a structured setting. During the session, investigators can provide peer leaders with timely and needed support, and identify and address challenges facing peer leaders [25,45]. Interactions with other peer leaders during the booster session can also facilitate peer support and promote a sense of comradery, leading to higher retention.
Youth Peer Led Lifestyle Modification Interventions: A Narrative Literature Review
2020, Evaluation and Program PlanningAn umbrella review of reviews on challenges to meaningful adolescent involvement in health research
2024, Health Expectations
Eleanor Maticka-Tyndale is a University Professor of Sociology and holds a Canada Research Chair in Social Justice and Sexual Health at the University of Windsor, Canada. HIV prevention among youth is one of her primary areas of research. She has completed evaluation studies of interventions in Thailand and Kenya.
Jessica Penwell Barnett is a graduate student in the Sociology program at the University of Windsor, Canada, and a research assistant in the Social Justice and Sexual Health Research Lab. Her primary area of research interest is positive aspects of sexual health.