Acceptability and challenges of introducing an educational audio-drama about gender violence and HIV prevention into schools in Botswana: an implementation review

ABSTRACT

Structural interventions for HIV prevention are typically complex and evaluation should include measurement of implementation. In a trial of a structural intervention for HIV prevention in Botswana we trained teachers to use an audio-drama about gender violence and HIV (BVV). We measured the use of BVV by the trained teachers, and the factors related. In three-day workshops we trained guidance teachers in primary and secondary schools to use the 8-episode BVV audio-drama, that covers gender, gender violence and HIV. One to two years later, two interviewers visited schools and administered an electronic questionnaire to the head teacher and to the BVV-trained teacher. Most teachers (70%, 72/103) had used the BVV materials and reported a positive response from students. Primary school teachers were less likely to have used BVV (adjusted odds ratio (ORa) 0.24, 95% cluster adjusted confidence interval (CIca) 0.07-0.88). Teachers in schools with a working MP3 player were more likely to have used BVV (ORa 3.75, 95% CIca 1.11-12.70). Implementation was much lower in one district (ORa 0.12, 95% CIca 0.04-0.36), related to language constraints. The main difficulty was lack of time, especially in primary schools. These findings could inform rollout of the BVV programme in schools.

Abbreviations: BVV: Beyond Victims and Villains audio-drama; CI: Confidence interval; OR: Odds ratio

KEYWORDS:

• HIV prevention
• children
• schools
• edutainment
• implementation research

Acknowledgements

We thank all the school heads and the teachers who enthusiastically attended training sessions and introduced the BVV programme into schools.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Ethical approval and consent

This study was carried out as part of the INSTRUCT trial for HIV prevention in Botswana. The trial received ethical approval from the Health Research and Development Committee (HRDC) in the Ministry of Health, Botswana, on 8 August 2013, HRDC protocol number 00724. We also obtained approval from the Ministry of Education and Skills Development to train teachers in intervention districts to use the Beyond Victims and Villains audio-drama with their students.

The interviewers obtained oral informed consent from the guidance teachers and head teachers before they interviewed them for this study.

Additional information

Funding

This work was carried out with the aid of a grant from the International Development Research Centre, Ottawa, Canada [grant number 107531].