A Comparative Study of the Influence of Infused HIV and AIDS Education on Students' HIV and AIDS Awareness in Ainamoi and Sigowet Divisions, Kericho County, Kenya

Abstract

HIV and AIDS pandemic is a global health concern which has been given a multi-sectoral approach to combat it. In Kenya, the Ministry of Education has adopted HIV and AIDS policy in which one of the strategies of achieving HIV and AIDS awareness among school-going youth is to have the infused HIV and AIDS education in the formal curriculum subjects. However it has not been established through empirical investigation whether or not the HIV and AIDS education has had an influence on the awareness of in-school youth in rural and urban areas differently. Therefore, this study comparatively investigated the influence of the infused HIV and AIDS education on students' awareness in public secondary schools of urban Ainamoi and rural Sigowet divisions in Kericho County. The objectives were to compare the influence of the infused HIV and AIDS education on students' mastery of HIV and AIDS facts, behaviour change among students and attitudes towards infected people. The study was informed by Holmes' problem-solving approach, Becker's health belief model, Bandura's self-efficacy and social learning theory and Green's Precede-Proceed model of health behavior. The study adopted a comparative research design whereby a rural sample and an urban sample of form four students selected from a target population of 2840 students in public secondary schools in Kericho county were compared. Stratified random sampling was used to select respondents from purposively sampled schools. Data was collected using questionnaires and an interview schedule whose validity was enhanced through a pilot study. The split-half reliability test was done to determine the reliability level of the data collection instruments. Data was presented as tabulated frequencies and percentages. The chi-square statistic was used to analyze data at a 0.05 level of confidence. Interview responses were obtained as qualitative data and were reported verbatim. The results of the study showed that there were significant differences between students in rural and urban schools with regard to knowledge of HIV and AIDS facts, level of behavior change and attitudes towards HIV and AIDS infected people. Students in urban secondary schools were found to be better informed about HIV and AIDS facts; they had a more positive attitude towards infected people and exhibited a higher level of behavior change compared to students in rural secondary schools.' The study recommends a revision of the curriculum to give HIV and AIDS education a multi-faceted approach including co-curricular activities and seminars for parents.