Changing Attitudes About Concurrency Among Young African Americans: Results of a Radio Campaign

AIDS Educ Prev. 2017 Aug;29(4):330-346. doi: 10.1521/aeap.2017.29.4.330.

Abstract

We created and evaluated an 8-month campaign of provocative radio ads to change attitudes about concurrent (overlapping) sexual partnerships among young African Americans. We created a concurrency attitude scale and compared its score distributions in independent samples of African Americans, ages 18-34 years, interviewed by telephone before (n = 678) and after (n = 479) the campaign. Pre- and post-campaign samples reflected similar response rates (pre: 32.6%; post: 31.8%) and distributions of personal characteristics. Reported exposure to concurrency messages was greater after the campaign (pre: 6.3%, post: 30.9%), and mean scores indicated less acceptance of concurrency (pre: 3.40 [95% CI 3.23, 3.57]; post: 2.62 [2.46, 2.78]). Score differences were not a function of differences in composition of the samples (adjusted means: pre: 3.37 [3.21, 3.53]; post: 2.62 [2.47, 2.76]). Findings demonstrate that a carefully targeted, intensive mass media campaign can change attitudes about concurrency, which should facilitate behavior change.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Attitude / ethnology*
  • Black or African American / psychology*
  • Black or African American / statistics & numerical data
  • Female
  • HIV Infections / ethnology*
  • HIV Infections / prevention & control
  • Health Communication
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
  • Health Promotion
  • Humans
  • Interviews as Topic
  • Male
  • Mass Media*
  • Program Development
  • Program Evaluation
  • Sexual Behavior / ethnology*
  • Sexual Partners*
  • Telephone
  • Young Adult