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. 2024 Dec;36(6):415-427.
doi: 10.1521/aeap.2024.36.6.415.

The Effect and Acceptability of an HIV Education Intervention for Adolescents With Intellectual Disability in Uganda: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Anita Arinda  1 , Noeline Nakasujja  1 , Mary M McKay  2 , Fred M Ssewamala  2 , James Mugisha  3
Affiliations

The Effect and Acceptability of an HIV Education Intervention for Adolescents With Intellectual Disability in Uganda: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Anita Arinda et al. AIDS Educ Prev. 2024 Dec.

Abstract

Adolescents with intellectual disability (ID) are often deficient in knowledge about HIV/AIDS. This pilot study evaluated the impact and acceptability of an HIV education intervention for adolescents with mild-to-moderate ID delivered in a peri-urban setting in Uganda. This quasi-experimental study involved 60 adolescents with mild to moderate ID evenly split between the intervention and control groups. Data were collected using a questionnaire that included sociodemographic information, HIV knowledge and attitudes, and acceptability measures, administered at baseline, immediately postintervention, and 3 months later. Approximately 53.3% of the participants were male, and 50% had mild ID. Immediately post-intervention, the intervention group reported a significantly higher increase in HIV knowledge (8.5 vs. -0.2, p < .001) and attitudes (3.9 vs. 0.1, p < .001) than the control group. A similar significant increase was maintained at 3 months post-intervention. These findings show that tailored education programs can improve HIV knowledge and attitudes in adolescents with ID.

Keywords: HIV; adolescents; health education; health knowledge and attitudes; intellectual disability.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest. The authors have no competing interests to declare.

Figures

FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 1.
Flow chart of study participants.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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