Comparison of the effect of two educational methods, education by adults and education by peers, on the awareness of high school students in Mashhad city, in the characteristics, transmission and prevention of AIDS

Background & Aims: AIDS is a disease for which there is currently no effective vaccine and basic treatment, the only way to fight AIDS is to prevent infection, which is possible with health education. This study was conducted with the aim of comparing the effect of two types of AIDS prevention, educational interventions by peer and adult groups on awareness and behavior among high school students in Mashhad. Materials & Methods: This interventional study was performed to compare two methods of education via peers against education by adults about awareness towards HIV/AIDS among high school students of Mashhad city in 2014- 2015. The studied groups included three groups of peer education, adult education, and control. Examining the level of knowledge and attitude of the subject was conducted through a questionnaire of the designated researcher, whose validity and reliability were tested again in a pilot. Results: The initial awareness of students was evaluated at about 28%. The most important source of information was television. In enhancing the level of awareness post-intervention in different areas of the peer and adult intervention groups, there was significant difference compared to the control. However, no significant difference was found between the two genders when comparing the peer and adult groups. Conclusion: The peers' good understanding of the social and cultural environment of the target group would improve social norms and healthy behaviors, which are among the advantages of this method. The results can be used for the educational planning of students because it shows the level of knowledge of students at the pre-university level and the educational needs of students for appropriate educational planning.