HIV prevention, through effective information dissemination, is a major public health task in north Florida. Due to high rates of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV, three counties were selected as the sites to assess the effectiveness of HIV information dissemination within African American communities in rural, mixed rural/urban, and urban areas. The basis for this program is that culturally-appropriate health messages may be more effective in relaying HIV prevention. The objectives of the program are to design customized educational newsletters for each community based on the community advisory board's input about message preferences, messenger preferences, tone variability, and channel preferences. The community advisory boards contain residents with HIV, media, religious, artistic, and community expertise. In establishing a group to determine community-sensitive and relevant information, these boards' charge is to compose the newsletter in a manner to be most impactful in their community. All three counties focused on predominantly African American communities and selected youth as their primary audience, yet differences in health education strategies and board composition were apparent by geographic location.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the learner will be able to: 1. Describe the similarities in health education strategies suggested by the urban, mixed, and rural community boards. 2. Identify major differences in health education strategies suggested by the urban, mixed and rural community boards. 3. Recognize the unique cultural difference between three different African American communities.
Keywords: Health Communications, Challenges and Opportunities
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: National Library of Medicine was the funding source
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.