Objective To evaluate a four-hour life-skills-based HIV/AIDS prevention curriculum among 5th grade students in rural primary schools of Hainan province.Methods The study included two stages.Stage one (September 2006-...Objective To evaluate a four-hour life-skills-based HIV/AIDS prevention curriculum among 5th grade students in rural primary schools of Hainan province.Methods The study included two stages.Stage one (September 2006-May 2007) was a pre-post-quasi experimental design;a total of 2 413 students aged 9 to 14 years from fifth grade classes of nine primary schools completed a baseline survey (1 720 students were in the intervention group,693 in the control group),and over 98% of them took part in a short survey.The experimental curriculum was provided to the intervention group.At stage two (September 2008),a cross-sectional questionnaire was administered to 6 923 students in 7th grade classes of eight middle schools in the same study sites.There were 1 437 students in the intervention group when the curriculum was conducted.Results Students tended to score higher in areas of HIV/AIDS related knowledge and attitudes,if they were younger than average,lived in the county seat,had access to the internet,and their parents had completed higher levels of education.Path analysis showed that,after controlling for characteristics such as family and community factors,the total effects of curriculum on knowledge in the short-term model increased remarkably compared with the baseline,and maintained major contributions to knowledge in the mid-term model.The positive effect of knowledge on attitudes was significantly improved in the short-term model as well.Conclusion A life-skills based curriculum can improve HIV/AIDS related knowledge and self-perceived level of life-skills among primary school students in rural areas in a short time,and these positive effects can still be observed at least 2 years post participation in the curriculum.展开更多
By the end of 2005,the estimated number of HIV infected people in China was 650,000. The seriousness of the epidemic calls for effective control measures to tackle the problems in order to avoid the tragedy in Africa ...By the end of 2005,the estimated number of HIV infected people in China was 650,000. The seriousness of the epidemic calls for effective control measures to tackle the problems in order to avoid the tragedy in Africa from happening in China. "Prevention First" is the cornerstone of the country's health policy. On 2003 World AIDS Day,Premier Jiabao Wen announced a new national AIDS control policy,"Four Frees and One Care". This policy clearly shows that the Chinese government has once again taken full responsibility to solve public health problems and has profound impact far beyond the AIDS field. In early 2006,the central government put scientific and technology innovation as a national priority and set the target to build an innovative China by year 2020. Since then,the government has been increasing investment in science and technology with major emphasis on both infectious diseases control and new drug research and development. For the first time,development of 100 new drugs and control of major infectious diseases (AIDS,HBV,TB and other emerging infectious diseases) have been selected as national key scientific projects. China's best minds in related fields will be pooled to work together in order to remove the technical barriers blocking efficient control of the major infectious disease in China. Knowledge on molecular epidemiology,immunology,pathogenesis,HAART,as well as HIVDR strains will certainly provide urgently needed scientific information for China's AIDS control program. Only evidence-based strategy from good research will provide long-term effective control of AIDS.展开更多
Background: The global incidence of STIs is rising. It is estimated that 499 million new cases of curable STIs occur every year. The existence of more than one million reported cases of STIs annually in Iran shows tha...Background: The global incidence of STIs is rising. It is estimated that 499 million new cases of curable STIs occur every year. The existence of more than one million reported cases of STIs annually in Iran shows that addressing this issue must be a priority for Iranian health authorities. While recognition of the importance of gender issues to reproductive health (RH) programs has grown significantly in the past several years, major challenges remain in implementing gender-sensitive programs. Gender mainstreaming in Iranian reproductive health program is a relatively new issue, so this study aims to explore gender sensitive STIs/HIV/AIDS prevention policies. Method: This study employed a qualitative research design. Participants were health managers, health policy makers and reproductive health providers. They were selected purposefully and then continued by snowball sampling method. 43 semi-structured in-depth interviews with 37 key informants were done. All the interviews were recorded and transcribed. The data were analyzed by content analysis method. Trustworthiness of the data was achieved by using credibility, trans-ferability and conformability. Results: Key informants clearly explained the gender sensitive STIs/ HIV/AIDS prevention policies in three main categories: 1) advocacy, 2) collaboration between different sectors and 3) community empowerment to gender sensitive STIs/HIV/AIDS prevention programs. Conclusion: Changing gender neural STIs/HIV/AIDS prevention policy to more complete gender sensitive policy needs advocacy, collaboration of sectors and community empowerment.展开更多
Introduction: This qualitative study triangulated data from adolescents, parents, and key informants in Gaborone, Botswana on adolescents’ risks for HIV infection, STIs and pregnancy, the types of relationships they ...Introduction: This qualitative study triangulated data from adolescents, parents, and key informants in Gaborone, Botswana on adolescents’ risks for HIV infection, STIs and pregnancy, the types of relationships they get into, and preventive measures they use to protect themselves against HIV infection. The goal of this qualitative research is to inform adaptation of an intervention originally developed, implemented, and evaluated in the US that was effective in reducing the risk of HIV infection and early pregnancy by delaying initiation of sexual relationships of abstinent adolescents and lowering sexual risk behaviours of adolescents who were already sexually active. The objectives of this study were to conduct in-depth interviews with youth, key informants and parents;determine the behavioural risks that young people face;Assess youth and parents’ attitudes toward providing a risk reduction programme for adolescents and Use the data to adapt an evidence-based programme for Botswana. Methodology: In-depth qualitative interviews with 40 youth, 20 key informants and 40 parents elicited information on the risks and relationships that youth engaged in and their suggestions how their risky behaviours could be minimized or counteracted. Findings: Youth of both sexes engage in risky sexual behaviours that could predispose them to contracting HIV and STI infections or unplanned pregnancies. Risks were associated with use of alcohol and drugs: commonly marijuana, and engaging in unsafe sexual relations. Youth, key informants and parents showed a high level of acceptability for offering a primary prevention intervention program for adolescents. In addition, all groups of participants concurred on the importance of offering a separate program for parents to equip them with skills that can enable to them to guide their adolescents to safely transit into adulthood through education and family communication skills. Other risks confronting adolescents included sexual initiations from either older men or women (sugar daddy and mummy syndrome) in exchange for material and financial gains. Conclusion: Informants endorsed the need for primary prevention programs addressing adolescents and their families to reduce risk behaviours among Batswana youth to provide them with skills and minimise the risk of HIV infection among adolescents.展开更多
Thailand was implementing the policy of HIV/A1DS prevention in risky group, The youth is one of groups with sexual risk behaviors to HIV/AIDS. This research aims to elucidate the process of policy implementation at th...Thailand was implementing the policy of HIV/A1DS prevention in risky group, The youth is one of groups with sexual risk behaviors to HIV/AIDS. This research aims to elucidate the process of policy implementation at the national and regional levels, and to explain the obstacles of policy implementation. The method was qualitative study. The stakeholders were 88 people. The data were collected by in-depth interview and coded by a computer program. The policy was transferred from the national AIDS committee to the Department of Disease Control (DDC) and provincial level. This process was lacking budget support. The provincial AIDS committee was monitored by the provincial health office, cooperating with the central level. The major role was to transfer the policy to the school, Local Administration Organization (LAO) and associated organization. The activity was funded by provincial, global funds, and outside sources. In the community, the core activities were AIDS knowledge, establishing core youth groups, and building the network of AIDS. The obstacle at the national level was changing the policy process from one with a budget to one without budget. In the area of practice, the AIDS problem and the effects of the risk behavior in youth groups were slightly concerned.展开更多
Objective:This study aims to provide a theoretical foundation for the development and practical application of human immunodeficiency virus(HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome(AIDS)prevention and control policy sy...Objective:This study aims to provide a theoretical foundation for the development and practical application of human immunodeficiency virus(HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome(AIDS)prevention and control policy systems in China by scrutinizing,analyzing,and synthesizing the evolution of Chinese policies in this domain.Methods:Utilizing grounded theory,we employed NVivo12 software to perform text content analysis,mining,and coding classification,along with visualization techniques,on policy texts sourced from Chinese government platforms,including the official website of China’s State Council.We considered four analytical dimensions—time,subject,type,and object.Results:The National Health Commission and the State Council emerged as the primary entities engaged in policymaking for HIV/AIDS in China.We identified four distinct stages in the evolution of these policies,culminating in a novel‘sun-shaped’HIV/AIDS prevention and control policy network model with an emphasis on‘knowledge,attitude,and practice’at its nucleus,which aligns with national conditions and societal progress.Furthermore,the focal groups of these policies have been dynamically refined and updated over time.Conclusions:Our findings introduce a‘sunshaped’HIV/AIDS prevention and control policy network model specific to China.We observed a conceptual policy shift towards prioritizing overall human health rather than confining the focus to disease treatment.Additionally,in light of China’s growing elderly population,the imperative to address HIV/AIDS prevention and control among older adults is an issue that warrants increased attention.展开更多
Background: Due to the increase in longevity and use of antiretroviral treatment, Uganda has had a growing population of older persons living with HIV/AIDS. However, there is a paucity of information on the mental hea...Background: Due to the increase in longevity and use of antiretroviral treatment, Uganda has had a growing population of older persons living with HIV/AIDS. However, there is a paucity of information on the mental health of the elderly living with HIV/AIDS. In this cross-sectional study, we determined the prevalence of, and associated factors for depression and suicidal ideation among older persons living with HIV/AIDS in Mbarara city, southwest Uganda. Methods: Older persons (150 females, 115 males), with mean age = 64.2 (±5.1) years, accessing health services from three purposively selected HIV/AIDS care centers in Mbarara city, southwest Uganda were recruited. Data on depression and suicidal ideation were collected using a Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) validated in Uganda, and a structured questionnaire was used to collect data on clinical and socio-demographic characteristics. Data were analysed using logistic regression. Results: Approximately 8.3% and 12.1% had depression and suicidal ideation, respectively. The factors associated with lowering the likelihood of depression were: an increase in the number of family members they stayed with and having no having any problems with their ARVs. On the other hand, earning more than 100,000 Uganda shillings was associated with reducing the risk of suicidal ideations among the participants. Conclusion: Approximately 8 to 12 in 100 older persons living with HIV/AIDS in Uganda have experienced depression or suicidal ideation. Family support and financial control were instrumental factors associated with depression and suicidal ideations, respectively. We recommended strengthening family structures and creating more avenues for financial independence among older persons living with HIV/AIDS to reduce the burden of depression, and suicidal behaviours among this vulnerable population.展开更多
Over past three decades,many prevention strategies have been proven effective in reducing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission.However,none of these strategies alone are effective to stop the spread of HIV....Over past three decades,many prevention strategies have been proven effective in reducing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission.However,none of these strategies alone are effective to stop the spread of HIV.This review discusses a few key prevention strategies,including testing,harm reduction,prevention,prophylaxis,and modern communication strategies.We argue that although there are great challenges remaining to stop HIV transmission via sexual contact and injecting drug use routes,the combination of these effective strategies,control HIV epidemic can be achieved.展开更多
In order to find out the effect of human (sexual) behavior change and immigration in spreading the HIV/AIDS, a deterministic model of HIV/AIDS with infective immigration is formulated. First, basic properties of the m...In order to find out the effect of human (sexual) behavior change and immigration in spreading the HIV/AIDS, a deterministic model of HIV/AIDS with infective immigration is formulated. First, basic properties of the model, including non-negativity and boundedness of the solutions, existence of the endemic equilibrium and the basic reproduction number, R0 are analyzed. The geometrical approach is used to obtain the global asymptotic stability of endemic equilibrium. Then the basic model is extended to include several control efforts aimed at reducing infection and changing behavior. Pontryagin’s maximum principle is used to derive the optimality system and solve the system numerically. Our numerical findings are illustrated through simulations using MATLAB, which shows reliability of our model from the practical point of view.展开更多
HIV/AIDS has been circulating in China for over 25 year. While making achievements on HIV/AIDS prevention, there still are great challenge and difficulties epidemic controlling and vaccine research .
Introduction: While the prevalence of HIV/AIDS is shown to be decreasing in the last few decades, it still remains a serious public health issue in Pacific countries. This study is aimed to review the common barriers ...Introduction: While the prevalence of HIV/AIDS is shown to be decreasing in the last few decades, it still remains a serious public health issue in Pacific countries. This study is aimed to review the common barriers and also preventive strategies for HIV/AIDS among Pacific Islanders. Methodology: This systematic review study on HIV/AIDS was developed based on the Cochrane Library Guideline. Seven online databases which were more frequently used in finding relevant studies were used to search literatures. Using relevant key words, all studies found in the search were reviewed by two independent reviewers and their quality and relevance were assessed. All previous qualitative and quantitative published articles included in the study were published from 2000 to 2016 and in the English language. A data extraction sheet was developed and a descriptive statistic was used to analyze the data. Results: Twenty-two studies met the study inclusion and exclusion criteria. Many of the studies were conducted in American Pacific countries (50%). Community-based studies were the most common type of studies (72.7%). In quantitative studies, the most common barriers were lack of accessibility to health services and lack of knowledge, while in the qualitative studies they were cultural barriers and access to health services. Educational trainings on sexual health topics were identified as the main preventive strategy. Conclusion: This study highlights the main barriers of HIV/AIDS among Pacific Islanders. It also provides a guide for decision makers to develop and implement new strategies which are sensitive and based on Pacific cultures and beliefs.展开更多
The paper studied the imperatives of health psychologists in the control and management of HIV/ AIDS. HIV/AIDS is a relatively new disease, but has caused more deaths than any other disease in human history, and there...The paper studied the imperatives of health psychologists in the control and management of HIV/ AIDS. HIV/AIDS is a relatively new disease, but has caused more deaths than any other disease in human history, and there is no known cure yet. Even though, HIV/AIDS is a death sentence, experts agreed that early detection, and early commencement of treatment may prolong the life of the patients, and that early detection may prevent or reduce the transmission of the virus. Early detection, commencement of treatment, and compliance with medical advice are the responsibilities of the health psychologist. This paper therefore, concludes that health psychologist is indispensable in effective control, and management of HIV/AIDS, and so recommends that awareness be created on the roles of health psychologists in this regard, through health education.展开更多
基金supported by Ministry of Health of China "AIDS prevention and cure application project,WA2005-11"
文摘Objective To evaluate a four-hour life-skills-based HIV/AIDS prevention curriculum among 5th grade students in rural primary schools of Hainan province.Methods The study included two stages.Stage one (September 2006-May 2007) was a pre-post-quasi experimental design;a total of 2 413 students aged 9 to 14 years from fifth grade classes of nine primary schools completed a baseline survey (1 720 students were in the intervention group,693 in the control group),and over 98% of them took part in a short survey.The experimental curriculum was provided to the intervention group.At stage two (September 2008),a cross-sectional questionnaire was administered to 6 923 students in 7th grade classes of eight middle schools in the same study sites.There were 1 437 students in the intervention group when the curriculum was conducted.Results Students tended to score higher in areas of HIV/AIDS related knowledge and attitudes,if they were younger than average,lived in the county seat,had access to the internet,and their parents had completed higher levels of education.Path analysis showed that,after controlling for characteristics such as family and community factors,the total effects of curriculum on knowledge in the short-term model increased remarkably compared with the baseline,and maintained major contributions to knowledge in the mid-term model.The positive effect of knowledge on attitudes was significantly improved in the short-term model as well.Conclusion A life-skills based curriculum can improve HIV/AIDS related knowledge and self-perceived level of life-skills among primary school students in rural areas in a short time,and these positive effects can still be observed at least 2 years post participation in the curriculum.
文摘By the end of 2005,the estimated number of HIV infected people in China was 650,000. The seriousness of the epidemic calls for effective control measures to tackle the problems in order to avoid the tragedy in Africa from happening in China. "Prevention First" is the cornerstone of the country's health policy. On 2003 World AIDS Day,Premier Jiabao Wen announced a new national AIDS control policy,"Four Frees and One Care". This policy clearly shows that the Chinese government has once again taken full responsibility to solve public health problems and has profound impact far beyond the AIDS field. In early 2006,the central government put scientific and technology innovation as a national priority and set the target to build an innovative China by year 2020. Since then,the government has been increasing investment in science and technology with major emphasis on both infectious diseases control and new drug research and development. For the first time,development of 100 new drugs and control of major infectious diseases (AIDS,HBV,TB and other emerging infectious diseases) have been selected as national key scientific projects. China's best minds in related fields will be pooled to work together in order to remove the technical barriers blocking efficient control of the major infectious disease in China. Knowledge on molecular epidemiology,immunology,pathogenesis,HAART,as well as HIVDR strains will certainly provide urgently needed scientific information for China's AIDS control program. Only evidence-based strategy from good research will provide long-term effective control of AIDS.
文摘Background: The global incidence of STIs is rising. It is estimated that 499 million new cases of curable STIs occur every year. The existence of more than one million reported cases of STIs annually in Iran shows that addressing this issue must be a priority for Iranian health authorities. While recognition of the importance of gender issues to reproductive health (RH) programs has grown significantly in the past several years, major challenges remain in implementing gender-sensitive programs. Gender mainstreaming in Iranian reproductive health program is a relatively new issue, so this study aims to explore gender sensitive STIs/HIV/AIDS prevention policies. Method: This study employed a qualitative research design. Participants were health managers, health policy makers and reproductive health providers. They were selected purposefully and then continued by snowball sampling method. 43 semi-structured in-depth interviews with 37 key informants were done. All the interviews were recorded and transcribed. The data were analyzed by content analysis method. Trustworthiness of the data was achieved by using credibility, trans-ferability and conformability. Results: Key informants clearly explained the gender sensitive STIs/ HIV/AIDS prevention policies in three main categories: 1) advocacy, 2) collaboration between different sectors and 3) community empowerment to gender sensitive STIs/HIV/AIDS prevention programs. Conclusion: Changing gender neural STIs/HIV/AIDS prevention policy to more complete gender sensitive policy needs advocacy, collaboration of sectors and community empowerment.
文摘Introduction: This qualitative study triangulated data from adolescents, parents, and key informants in Gaborone, Botswana on adolescents’ risks for HIV infection, STIs and pregnancy, the types of relationships they get into, and preventive measures they use to protect themselves against HIV infection. The goal of this qualitative research is to inform adaptation of an intervention originally developed, implemented, and evaluated in the US that was effective in reducing the risk of HIV infection and early pregnancy by delaying initiation of sexual relationships of abstinent adolescents and lowering sexual risk behaviours of adolescents who were already sexually active. The objectives of this study were to conduct in-depth interviews with youth, key informants and parents;determine the behavioural risks that young people face;Assess youth and parents’ attitudes toward providing a risk reduction programme for adolescents and Use the data to adapt an evidence-based programme for Botswana. Methodology: In-depth qualitative interviews with 40 youth, 20 key informants and 40 parents elicited information on the risks and relationships that youth engaged in and their suggestions how their risky behaviours could be minimized or counteracted. Findings: Youth of both sexes engage in risky sexual behaviours that could predispose them to contracting HIV and STI infections or unplanned pregnancies. Risks were associated with use of alcohol and drugs: commonly marijuana, and engaging in unsafe sexual relations. Youth, key informants and parents showed a high level of acceptability for offering a primary prevention intervention program for adolescents. In addition, all groups of participants concurred on the importance of offering a separate program for parents to equip them with skills that can enable to them to guide their adolescents to safely transit into adulthood through education and family communication skills. Other risks confronting adolescents included sexual initiations from either older men or women (sugar daddy and mummy syndrome) in exchange for material and financial gains. Conclusion: Informants endorsed the need for primary prevention programs addressing adolescents and their families to reduce risk behaviours among Batswana youth to provide them with skills and minimise the risk of HIV infection among adolescents.
文摘Thailand was implementing the policy of HIV/A1DS prevention in risky group, The youth is one of groups with sexual risk behaviors to HIV/AIDS. This research aims to elucidate the process of policy implementation at the national and regional levels, and to explain the obstacles of policy implementation. The method was qualitative study. The stakeholders were 88 people. The data were collected by in-depth interview and coded by a computer program. The policy was transferred from the national AIDS committee to the Department of Disease Control (DDC) and provincial level. This process was lacking budget support. The provincial AIDS committee was monitored by the provincial health office, cooperating with the central level. The major role was to transfer the policy to the school, Local Administration Organization (LAO) and associated organization. The activity was funded by provincial, global funds, and outside sources. In the community, the core activities were AIDS knowledge, establishing core youth groups, and building the network of AIDS. The obstacle at the national level was changing the policy process from one with a budget to one without budget. In the area of practice, the AIDS problem and the effects of the risk behavior in youth groups were slightly concerned.
基金This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.72274091)National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant No.2020YFC2006400)General Program of the Guangdong Philosophy and Social Science Planning(Number:GD23CGL06).
文摘Objective:This study aims to provide a theoretical foundation for the development and practical application of human immunodeficiency virus(HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome(AIDS)prevention and control policy systems in China by scrutinizing,analyzing,and synthesizing the evolution of Chinese policies in this domain.Methods:Utilizing grounded theory,we employed NVivo12 software to perform text content analysis,mining,and coding classification,along with visualization techniques,on policy texts sourced from Chinese government platforms,including the official website of China’s State Council.We considered four analytical dimensions—time,subject,type,and object.Results:The National Health Commission and the State Council emerged as the primary entities engaged in policymaking for HIV/AIDS in China.We identified four distinct stages in the evolution of these policies,culminating in a novel‘sun-shaped’HIV/AIDS prevention and control policy network model with an emphasis on‘knowledge,attitude,and practice’at its nucleus,which aligns with national conditions and societal progress.Furthermore,the focal groups of these policies have been dynamically refined and updated over time.Conclusions:Our findings introduce a‘sunshaped’HIV/AIDS prevention and control policy network model specific to China.We observed a conceptual policy shift towards prioritizing overall human health rather than confining the focus to disease treatment.Additionally,in light of China’s growing elderly population,the imperative to address HIV/AIDS prevention and control among older adults is an issue that warrants increased attention.
文摘Background: Due to the increase in longevity and use of antiretroviral treatment, Uganda has had a growing population of older persons living with HIV/AIDS. However, there is a paucity of information on the mental health of the elderly living with HIV/AIDS. In this cross-sectional study, we determined the prevalence of, and associated factors for depression and suicidal ideation among older persons living with HIV/AIDS in Mbarara city, southwest Uganda. Methods: Older persons (150 females, 115 males), with mean age = 64.2 (±5.1) years, accessing health services from three purposively selected HIV/AIDS care centers in Mbarara city, southwest Uganda were recruited. Data on depression and suicidal ideation were collected using a Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) validated in Uganda, and a structured questionnaire was used to collect data on clinical and socio-demographic characteristics. Data were analysed using logistic regression. Results: Approximately 8.3% and 12.1% had depression and suicidal ideation, respectively. The factors associated with lowering the likelihood of depression were: an increase in the number of family members they stayed with and having no having any problems with their ARVs. On the other hand, earning more than 100,000 Uganda shillings was associated with reducing the risk of suicidal ideations among the participants. Conclusion: Approximately 8 to 12 in 100 older persons living with HIV/AIDS in Uganda have experienced depression or suicidal ideation. Family support and financial control were instrumental factors associated with depression and suicidal ideations, respectively. We recommended strengthening family structures and creating more avenues for financial independence among older persons living with HIV/AIDS to reduce the burden of depression, and suicidal behaviours among this vulnerable population.
文摘Over past three decades,many prevention strategies have been proven effective in reducing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission.However,none of these strategies alone are effective to stop the spread of HIV.This review discusses a few key prevention strategies,including testing,harm reduction,prevention,prophylaxis,and modern communication strategies.We argue that although there are great challenges remaining to stop HIV transmission via sexual contact and injecting drug use routes,the combination of these effective strategies,control HIV epidemic can be achieved.
文摘In order to find out the effect of human (sexual) behavior change and immigration in spreading the HIV/AIDS, a deterministic model of HIV/AIDS with infective immigration is formulated. First, basic properties of the model, including non-negativity and boundedness of the solutions, existence of the endemic equilibrium and the basic reproduction number, R0 are analyzed. The geometrical approach is used to obtain the global asymptotic stability of endemic equilibrium. Then the basic model is extended to include several control efforts aimed at reducing infection and changing behavior. Pontryagin’s maximum principle is used to derive the optimality system and solve the system numerically. Our numerical findings are illustrated through simulations using MATLAB, which shows reliability of our model from the practical point of view.
文摘HIV/AIDS has been circulating in China for over 25 year. While making achievements on HIV/AIDS prevention, there still are great challenge and difficulties epidemic controlling and vaccine research .
文摘Introduction: While the prevalence of HIV/AIDS is shown to be decreasing in the last few decades, it still remains a serious public health issue in Pacific countries. This study is aimed to review the common barriers and also preventive strategies for HIV/AIDS among Pacific Islanders. Methodology: This systematic review study on HIV/AIDS was developed based on the Cochrane Library Guideline. Seven online databases which were more frequently used in finding relevant studies were used to search literatures. Using relevant key words, all studies found in the search were reviewed by two independent reviewers and their quality and relevance were assessed. All previous qualitative and quantitative published articles included in the study were published from 2000 to 2016 and in the English language. A data extraction sheet was developed and a descriptive statistic was used to analyze the data. Results: Twenty-two studies met the study inclusion and exclusion criteria. Many of the studies were conducted in American Pacific countries (50%). Community-based studies were the most common type of studies (72.7%). In quantitative studies, the most common barriers were lack of accessibility to health services and lack of knowledge, while in the qualitative studies they were cultural barriers and access to health services. Educational trainings on sexual health topics were identified as the main preventive strategy. Conclusion: This study highlights the main barriers of HIV/AIDS among Pacific Islanders. It also provides a guide for decision makers to develop and implement new strategies which are sensitive and based on Pacific cultures and beliefs.
文摘The paper studied the imperatives of health psychologists in the control and management of HIV/ AIDS. HIV/AIDS is a relatively new disease, but has caused more deaths than any other disease in human history, and there is no known cure yet. Even though, HIV/AIDS is a death sentence, experts agreed that early detection, and early commencement of treatment may prolong the life of the patients, and that early detection may prevent or reduce the transmission of the virus. Early detection, commencement of treatment, and compliance with medical advice are the responsibilities of the health psychologist. This paper therefore, concludes that health psychologist is indispensable in effective control, and management of HIV/AIDS, and so recommends that awareness be created on the roles of health psychologists in this regard, through health education.