Reducing AIDS Thru Community Education (RACE): Evaluating a Church-Based AIDS Education Program for Black Americans. Executive Summary

摘要

The study analyzed data gathered from Reducing AIDS through Community Education (RACE), a Southern Christian Leadership Conference project, funded in 1988 to provide AIDS education in Black churches. Analysis of baseline data (n=1,054) demonstrated that respondents had high levels of knowledge about known transmission modes for HIV. They had low levels of knowledge about casual contact as a transmission mode, risk reduction, and prevalence of AIDS among Blacks. Those who knew someone with HIV had higher knowledge and lower scores on the social distance, stigma, and repressive attitudes subscales. Summative data was 207 surveys collected from church members who completed training to become AIDS educators. Training which included cognitive and affective activities aimed at increasing knowledge, creating more tolerant attitudes, and developing teaching skills, was effective in increasing knowledge and decreasing scores on attitudinal subscales of stigma, social distance and repressive attitudes. After training, there was a statistically significant increase in the behavioral intent subscale created to assess willingness to perform activities consistent with the church's traditional role. RACE provides verification that the Black church can be successfully recruited for culturally sensitive AIDS education.