The health effects of worksite HIV/AIDS interventions: a review of the research literature

PURPOSE: To examine the individual and organizational health effects of HIV/AIDS interventions conducted at the worksite. SEARCH METHODS: This review is part of a series of reviews that used search methods described in an introductory article. To supplement these methods, HIV/AIDS-specific periodicals were searched to include journals that might not be incorporated in the computerized databases. Twelve of the 20 articles identified through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and our own subsequent searches met the criteria and were included in this review. FINDINGS: Ten of the 12 studies reviewed reported positive effects of employee education programs on knowledge or attitudes. Nine of the studies involved health care workers or employees with potential occupational exposure to HIV, and nine lacked a comparison or control group. None of the studies however, examined the effects of policies, manager training, or family education on the organization or person. CONCLUSIONS: Methodologic weaknesses in many of the studies reviewed, coupled with the small number of studies, led us to conclude that the research literature on worksite HIV/AIDS interventions is weak. Impact is, however, plausible. Future research should be directed toward developing valid measures of key variables, controlling for confounding factors, and ultimately examining the impact of organizational factors.