Obtaining active parental consent for school-based research: a guide for researchers

Objective: Schools increasingly require researchers to obtain active parental consent for students to participate in health research. We sought to identify effective strategies for the recruitment of child research participants through schools.
Method: A search of Medline, PsycINFO, Educational Resources Information Center, ProQuest 5000 and the Cochrane Library electronic databases was conducted for the period 1988 to 2008.
Results: The review found evidence that the following strategies may be effective in enhancing participation rates: 1) promotion of the research to school principals, teachers, parents and students; 2) dissemination of study information using methods allowing direct contact with parents (i.e. telephone or face-to-face); 3) provision of incentives to teachers, students and at a class level; 4) making reminder contacts; and 5) having a member of the research team co-ordinate and closely monitor the recruitment process.
Conclusion and Implications: Application of these strategies should reduce the risk of non-response and other biases that result from selective non-participation. Further randomised controlled trials of these and other strategies are required to strengthen the evidence base.     

Evaluation of a school-based intervention for HIV/AIDS prevention among Belizean adolescents

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a cognitive-behavioral peer-facilitated school-based HIV/AIDS education program on knowledge, attitudes and behavior among primary and secondary students in Belize. Students (N = 150) were recruited from six schools in Belize City. A quasi-experimental research design was used to assess the impact of a 3-month intervention. Seventy-five students received the intervention and 75 students served as controls. The intervention was guided by constructs from the Theory of Reasoned Action and Social Cognitive Theory. At the follow-up assessment, the intervention group showed higher HIV knowledge, were more likely to report condom use, had more positive attitudes toward condoms and were more likely to report future intentions to use condoms than the students in the control group. Overall, the findings indicate that the intervention had a positive impact on participants. Given the increasing rate of HIV/AIDS in Belize, especially among adolescents, this study has important implications for the country of Belize.     

Approaches to HIV/AIDS prevention

The author describes approaches to HIV/AIDS prevention, especially prevention of HIV sexual transmission. Distinction is done to biomedical, behavioural, societal, gender and faith-based approach. The necessity of multisectoral community based approach is emphasized.     

Curriculum development in school-based prevention research

In order to more completely understand and control the mechanismsof change elicited by a primary prevention curriculum used inschool-based health education research, it is optimal that itbe developed using a scientific process. Derived from a synthesisof methods used in previous projects, this paper outlines ageneral four-step process of curriculum development. The firststep of the suggested curriculum development process involvesadopting a theoretical model to serve as a conceptual guideand engaging in empirical studies to provide additional knowledgeabout theoretically-relevant variables. The second step entailscollecting a pool of prevention activities and teaching methodswhich have received support from previous research, as wellas generating new activities, which might help mitigate theoretically-basedvariables facilitative of some risk behavior. The third stepinvolves engaging in a series of activity comparison studiesleading to the selection of prevention activities which impactmaximally on proposed mechanisms of change (i.e. certain knowledge,attitudes, beliefs or behavioral intentions). The final stepinvolves combining activities and lessons together, and engagingin studies on the whole curriculum to increase its workabilityand impact on mechanisms of change.     

HIV/AIDS prevention in the Nepalese context

With their numbers now approaching almost 30 million, Nepalese feature importantly in the South Asian demography. Yet, it has been only 60 years since Nepal gained international recognition as a nation-state. Nepal at present is one of the world's poorest countries and is in dire need of development, especially in the area of health. Given the current civil instability coupled with rapid modernization, the health and well-being of the Nepalese people have been increasingly affected by newer threats, such as HIV/AIDS. The present study discusses the uniqueness of the Nepalese context in relation to HIV/AIDS prevention. The authors suggest that HIV/AIDS prevention programs in Nepal should now focus more on adolescents from rural regions. The authors also suggest the ways one may approach the task of developing a prevention program targeting rural youths.     

艾滋病综合防治信息交流利用的调查研究

目的了解目前艾滋病信息资源的供给和社会多部门参与艾滋病防治工作的信息需求与信息交流现状,探讨改进信息交流的策略与方法。方法采用了个人深入访谈、专题小组讨论、问卷调查等定性研究的方法,对H IV感染者、政府官员、媒体工作者、专业防治机构人员、健康教育专业人员、卫生行政人员、图书管理员、临床医生等进行了调查。结果行政系统“自上而下”的信息传达有效;政府部门之间横向的信息交流渠道不畅;信息供需关系不清晰;政府高度重视艾滋病信息交流与利用,但缺少具体的政策支持;艾滋病信息共享局部存在信息壁垒。结论艾滋病信息交流机制尚未形成;互联网是信息资源中心实现信息双向交流的理想平台。     

Disclosure of parental HIV/AIDS to children in rural China

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the complex issue of disclosure of parental HIV/AIDS to children in rural China. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with children affected by HIV/AIDS aged 8–17 (n?=?16), their caregivers (n?=?16) and key informants in the community (n?=?5). Findings showed that most children were shielded from knowing the HIV/AIDS status of their parents, although many children may have drawn their own conclusions through observation or sources outside the family. Caregivers felt discouraged and hesitated to discuss parental HIV/AIDS with children due to societal stigma and lack of knowledge and skills. Interventions are needed to improve caregivers' skills to communicate about HIV/AIDS with children. Interventions are also needed to reduce the stigma and discrimination towards people living with HIV/AIDS and their families.     

Active parental consent for a school-based community violence screening: comparing distribution methods

BACKGROUND: Students are unable to benefit from many school programs designed to address their mental health needs if their parents do not consent to their participation. As part of an ongoing effort in a large urban school district to meet the mental health needs of students traumatized by violence exposure, this paper examines the impact of alternative approaches on parental response and consent rates for an initial screening to participate in a school mental health program. METHODS: Two alternative approaches were used to obtain consent for students to participate in a school-based intervention for students exposed to violence. For one cohort, consent forms were distributed along with school information and other school forms during a parent orientation meeting. In the other cohort, school mental health clinicians visited student homerooms to distribute consent forms and explain the program and evaluation to students. RESULTS: There were significantly higher rates of return of consent forms (89.8% vs 53.2%) and parents consenting to participate (69.6% vs 27.9%) among parents receiving consent forms at a school meeting than among parents whose forms were distributed to children in a classroom, with comparable rates of active refusals to participate (20.1% vs 25.3%). CONCLUSIONS: Overall return rates and rates of consent for screening participation were substantially higher when the consent form and accompanying materials were provided directly to parents rather than distributed in the classroom and sent home with students. These findings have implications for efforts to obtain active consent from parents for students to participate in school mental health programs.     

博茨瓦纳的艾滋病防治经验

一个人口170万,孕产妇HIV感染率高达37.4%的非洲国家,艾滋病使全国人均期望寿命由67岁下降到现在的近40岁,全国有30万人感染了HIV,有11万人需要艾滋病抗病毒治疗,有4万名艾滋病孤儿。政府将控制艾滋病视为社会生存和发展问题,通过多部门合作、综合干预及有效的国际合作,使艾滋病得到了初步有效的控制。     

中国特色的艾滋病防治策略

本文回顾了35年来我国艾滋病防治事业在三个方面的主要发展成就以及陆续出台的重大防治政策、法律、法规及其对艾滋病防治工作的影响。本文介绍了艾滋病防治队伍建立、发展与完善的过程,展示了疫情监测、感染者管理和治疗、高危人群预防干预等主要防治成就,分析了当前防治工作面临的挑战并提出了建议。     

开展HIV自我检测的应用性研究，推动我国艾滋病防治目标的全面实现

当前我国艾滋病防治形势依然严峻。虽然我国在扩大HIV检测、促进HIV感染者发现方面取得了长足的进展,但仍有大量的HIV感染者尚未被发现,影响了我国艾滋病总体防治目标的实现。我国需要在开展常规HIV检测的同时进一步推广HIV自我检测（自检）,并将其作为常规检测模式的补充,扩大HIV检测覆盖率和促进HIV感染者发现。本重点号综述了目前全球推广使用HIV自检的总体情况,报告我国MSM 2013-2018年HIV自检的变化情况,比较不同的自检模式在促进重点人群进行HIV/梅毒检测中的作用,以期为我国进一步开展HIV自检的应用性研究提供科学依据,推进我国艾滋病防治总体目标的实现。     

农村艾滋病预防与控制的思考

目的分析当前农村艾滋病的预防与控制情况。方法结合某区艾滋病控制过程中的具体措施,提出对应控制方法。结果通过强化农村艾滋病的预防控制,能够完善艾滋病防控体系,切实保障农村村民的身体健康利益。结论应对农村艾滋病传播需要有切实可行的控制预防措施,包括建立健全防控体系、强化宣传教育、完善管理、加大资金投入等。