Recent Studies From University of Illinois Add New Data to HIV/AIDS

"Health workers can contribute to HIV prevention by minimizing HIV transmission in health facilities and increasing client teaching. We offered a peer-group intervention for Malawian rural health workers to build their universal precautions and teaching skills," scientists writing in the journal AIDS Care - Psychological and Socio - Medical Aspects of AIDS/HIV report.

"A quasi-experimental design using independent sample surveys and observations compared health workers in an intervention and delayed intervention control district at baseline and at 15 and 30 months post-intervention. Controlling for demographic factors, the intervention district had more reported HIV teaching at 15 and 30 months and also had higher universal precautions knowledge and fewer needle stick injuries at 30 months. Observations at 15 and 30 months post-intervention showed higher levels of teaching in the intervention district. Observed glove wearing and hand washing were also higher at 30 months," wrote D.L. Jere and colleagues, University of Illinois.

The researchers concluded: "This intervention should be made available for health workers in Malawi and provides a potential model for other high-HIV prevalence countries."

Jere and colleagues published their study in AIDS Care - Psychological and Socio - Medical Aspects of AIDS/HIV (Improving universal precautions and client teaching for rural health workers: a peer-group intervention. AIDS Care - Psychological and Socio - Medical Aspects of AIDS/HIV, 2010;22(5):649-657).

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