Health communication strategies are used more and more in prevention interventions for HIV/AIDS. In a recently published systematic review , Zhiwen Xiao , Seth M Noar and Lily Zeng investigate whether communication strategies have been utilized in HIV prevention interventions in China.
The authors systematically searched the literature up to 2011 and identified 45 relevant studies. Their main findings, are summarized below:
– The interventions in most of the included studies were not theory-based.
– Very few studies reported conducting formative and process evaluation research
– Most studies employed small media materials, such as posters and flyers, as well as non media channels, such as seminars and counseling to promote their messages. Very few studies used mass communication methods.
– Only three of the included studies used the Internet as the medium to deliver intervention messages.
– Most common outcome measures were HIV knowledge and condom use, as well as attitudes. However, not a lot of studies measured condom self-efficacy and partner communication.
In summary, this review describes the current situation in HIV/AIDS prevention intervention and identifies gaps that need to be considered in future research.
