142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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306976
YRBS 20-year trends showed racial/ethnic disparities in school-based HIV/AIDS education among adolescents

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Monday, November 17, 2014 : 2:50 PM - 3:10 PM

Rachel Mahas, MSc, MPH, PhD student , Department of Health and Recreation Professions, University of Toledo, toledo, OH
Jiunn-Jye Sheu, PhD, MSPH, MCHES , Department of Health and Recreation Professions, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH
Background

Approximately fifty thousand individuals are diagnosed with HIV in the US per year. Research shows that Hispanics and African-Americans are severely affected by HIV/AIDS. Furthermore, one in four new HIV infections are within the ages of 13-24. As such, HIV/AIDS educational programs are offered in high schools to address the HIV epidemic. This study identifies various trends (such as racial/ethnic similarities and differences) that exist between high school boys and girls who report never having HIV/AIDS education in school. 

Methods

The methodology involves secondary data analysis of the 1991 to 2011 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey comparing trends among gender, racial/ethnic (particularly White, African-American and Hispanic) and grade differences among high school individuals who had never had HIV/AIDS infection education at their school.

Results

  • Boys and girls in high school reported similar proportions of being taught about HIV/AIDS in school.
  • The 20-year trends among White adolescents who reported never being taught about HIV/AIDS in school appear nearly ‘U’ shaped, while, Hispanic and African American adolescents had ‘W’ shaped trends.
  • Excluding Hispanic 10th and African-American 12th graders, the proportions of other adolescents who reported not being taught about HIV/AIDS in school sharply increased since 2007.
  • In general, higher proportion of Hispanic adolescents reported never being taught about HIV/AIDS in school followed African-American and Whites respectively.

Discussion

The 20-year longitudinal trends show that Hispanic boys and girls reported the least being taught about HIV/AIDS in school. Cultural/religious reasons may contribute to such trends. Cultural-sensitive sexuality education in schools is therefore recommended.

Learning Areas:

Other professions or practice related to public health
Public health or related education

Learning Objectives:
Discuss racial/ethnic disparities among those individuals who are not taught about HIV/AIDS infection from the YRBS 1991 to 2011 data. Identify HIV/AIDS school education trends among genders, races/ethnicities and grade levels among high school students from the YRBS 1991 to 2011 data.

Keyword(s): HIV/AIDS, School-Based Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have conducted and analyzed this proposed study.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.