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Characterizing and improving HIV/AIDS knowledge among cocaine-dependent outpatients using modified materials
Herrmann, E. S., Heil, S. H., Sigmon, S. C., Dunn, K. E., Washio, Y., & Higgins, S. T. (2013). Characterizing and improving HIV/AIDS knowledge among cocaine-dependent outpatients using modified materials. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 127(1-3), 220-225. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2012.07.006
Background: Only 56% of outpatient substance abuse treatment programs in the U.S. provide HIV/AIDS education, likely due to the time required to complete existing educational interventions. This report describes results of a third study in a series to develop a brief educational intervention to increase HIV/AIDS knowledge among cocaine-dependent outpatients.
Methods: Participants (N = 90) were randomized to experimental or control conditions and completed two HIV/AIDS knowledge pre-tests with response formats modified to "true-false-don't know." Pre-test results were later compared to historical controls that completed pre-tests in their original "true-false" format. Next, participants in the experimental condition completed an HIV/AIDS educational intervention while participants in the control condition completed a sham intervention. Participants in both conditions then completed knowledge tests a second time. Participants in both conditions were subsequently crossed over, and then completed knowledge tests a third time. Post-intervention analyses were conducted using test data from all participants who completed the educational intervention (N = 56). A subset of these participants (N = 40) completed follow-up tests approximately 9 weeks after completing the educational intervention.
Results: Scores on both pre-tests were lower than those observed in historical controls (p <.001). Scores on knowledge tests increased from baseline after participants completed the educational intervention (p <.001), but not after the sham intervention (p > .05). Scores at follow-up remained higher than baseline scores (p <.001).
Conclusions: Modifying response formats to include a "don't know" option likely increases identification of baseline knowledge deficits. This brief intervention is effective at increasing HIV/AIDS knowledge among cocaine-dependent outpatients. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
