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The Effectiveness of a Peer-Led HIV/AIDS and STI Health Education Intervention for Prison Inmates in South Africa

¹ Health Promotion R & D Group, Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
² Health Promotion and Health Education, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
³ Department of Correctional Services, Pretoria, South Africa
⁴ Department of Experimental Psychology, Universiteit Maastricht, Maastricht, Netherlands
⁵ Health Promotion and Patient Education, Universiteit Maastricht, Maastricht, Netherlands

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: sibusiso.sifunda{at}mrc.ac.za.

	Abstract

This article reports on the effectiveness of the first systematically developed health education intervention for the reduction of risky sexual behavior among soon-to-be-released prisoners in South Africa. Data from three out of four prisons are eligible for data analysis including 263 inmates. Using a nested experimental design, short-term evaluation while inmates were still in prison demonstrate that experimental groups showed higher knowledge of sexually transmitted infections and had a more positive intention to reduce risky behavior than the control group in two out of three prisons. Long-term assessment 3 to 6 months after release from prison indicates that experimental groups were more positive about sexual communication, self-efficacy, and intention. Groups educated by an HIV-negative educator perform marginally better than those in groups with an HIV-positive peer educator. It is argued that peer-led health education programs may be effective in reducing risky behavior amongst soon-to-be-released inmates.

First published on June 30, 2008, doi:10.1177/1090198106294894

Health Education & Behavior 2008;35:494.

A more recent version of this article appeared on August 1, 2008


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