HIV/AIDS Education Program For Vietnamese Adolescents

越南是一个拥有7500万人口的国家，其中80%生活在农村地区。1995年，越南59%的人口年龄在25岁以下。越南直到1990年才发现第一例艾滋病病例。这种疾病的发病率迅速增加，保守估计表明，2000年艾滋病毒阳性个人的累计人数为16万人。近一半的艾滋病毒阳性者年龄在15岁到24岁之间。高危人群中的病例数量迅速增加，预计异性接触将是通过普通人群传播的主要方式。受艾滋病毒/艾滋病影响的青少年和青壮年人数强烈表明，有必要为这一人群制定预防方案。这项提案寻求对巴尔的摩马里兰大学和清华省卫生服务机构之间的合作努力的支持。该项目是在清华省(N=480)的8个农村社区进行的一项随机的治疗控制有效性试验，利用马里兰大学为青少年开发的艾滋病毒预防方案“关注儿童”的修改。与“关注儿童”一起开发的评价工具--青年健康危险行为工具的修订版将成为主要的量化评价工具。定性评价部分还将采用半结构化面谈。该提案建立在巴尔的摩马里兰大学和清华省卫生服务机构之间目前的合作努力基础上，包括为修改“关注儿童”方案和评估工具收集定性数据。修订后的课程和评估工具将于2000年5月/6月在160名青年中试行。拟议的项目是在越南全境扩大艾滋病毒/艾滋病风险降低方案实施的重要下一步。该项目提供了一个机会，研究青少年发展和参与与艾滋病毒/艾滋病有关的保护性和危险行为的不同文化之间的共性和差异，以及成功地修改和调整方案以适应另一种文化所需的机制和理论基础。

Viet Nam is a nation of 75 million, 80 percent of whom live in rural areas. In 1995, 59 percent of the population of Viet Nam was under 25 years. The first case of AIDS was not identified in Viet Nam until 1990. The rate of the disease has increased rapidly, and conservative estimates suggest that in 2000 the cumulative number of individuals who are HIV positive is 160,000. Nearly half of those who are HIV positive are between the ages of 15 and 24 years. There have been rapid increases in numbers of cases among high-risk populations, and it is anticipated that heterosexual contact will be the primary mode of transmission through the general population. The number of adolescents and young adults affected by HIV/AIDS strongly suggests the need for prevention programs for this population. This proposal seeks support for a collaborative effort between the University of Maryland Baltimore and the Khanh Hoa Provincial Health Services. The project is a randomized, treatment-control effectiveness trial in eight rural communes in Khanh Hoa Province (N=480) utilizing a modification of `Focus on Kids', an HIV prevention program for adolescents developed at the University of Maryland. A modified version of the Youth Health Risk Behavior Instrument, the evaluation instrument developed in conjunction with `Focus on Kids', will be the primary quantitative evaluation tool. Semi- structured interviews will also be employed for a qualitative evaluation component. The proposal builds on current collaborative efforts between the University of Maryland Baltimore and Khanh Hoa Provincial Health Services including collection of qualitative data for the modification of the `Focus on Kids' program and the evaluation tool. A pilot of the modified curriculum and evaluation tool will be conducted with 160 youth in May/June 2000. The proposed project is an important next step toward the expansion of HIV/AIDS risk-reduction program implementation throughout Viet Nam. The project provides an opportunity for research regarding commonalities and differences across cultures in adolescent development and engagement in protective and risk behaviors related to HIV/AIDS, as well as on mechanisms and theoretical underpinnings necessary for programs to be successfully modified and adapted from one culture to another.