Effects of an Undergraduate HIV/AIDS Course on Students' HIV Risk

Abstract

In this study, the authors use a quasi-experimental pretest and post-test survey design to examine the effects of a course, called HIV/AIDS: Science, Behavior, and Society, on undergraduate students' HIV knowledge, attitudes, and risky sexual behaviors. With the assistance of social work faculty, the course incorporates experiential learning pedagogy and a transdisciplinary perspective. Although the course was not designed as a prevention program, the theory of health behavior suggests the incorporation of experiential learning will impact crucial HIV/AIDS attitudes and behaviors. When regression models were applied, relative to the comparison group (N = 111), the HIV/AIDS class students (N = 79) reported an increase in post-test HIV knowledge, perceived susceptibility to HIV among females, and a reduction of risky sexual attitudes among sexually active students.

KEYWORDS:

• HIV/AIDS
• college students
• prevention
• risk behavior
• theory of health behavior

Acknowledgments

This study was partially supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (R24 DA13937) and the Southwest Interdisciplinary Research Center, an Exploratory Center of Excellence on Health Disparities Research funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) of the NIH (P20MD002316). The findings presented in this article are not necessarily the opinions of NIDA, NIMHD or NIH.

Notes

*P < .05, **P < .01, ***P < .001.

^a Last 90 days.

^b Last year.

^c Last 30 days.

⁺ P < .10, *P < .05, **P < .01, ***P < .001.

^a Last 30 days.

⁺ P < .10, *P < .05, **P < .01, ***P < .001.

^a Last 90 days.

^b Last year.

^c Last 30 days.