Rational Emotive Digital Storytelling Therapy for Improving HIV/AIDS Knowledge and Risk Perception Among Schoolchildren: A Group Randomized Trial

• Published in: Journal of rational-emotive and cognitive-behavior therapy 2019-12, Vol.37 (4), p.358-374
• Main Authors: Ezegbe, Bernedeth N., Eseadi, Chiedu, Ede, Moses Onyemaechi, Igbo, Janet N., Aneke, Anthonia, Nnamani, Amuche, Ugwu, Gloria C., Ugwoezuonu, Amada U., Elizabeth, Ebizie, Ede, Kelechi R., Chinweuba, Ngozi H., Ede, Augustina O.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; AIDS; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Children; Clinical Psychology; Community and Environmental Psychology; Data processing; Digital storytelling; Education; HIV; Human immunodeficiency virus; Intervention; Knowledge; Perception; Psychiatry; Psychology; Public Health; Questionnaires; Rational emotive behavior therapy; Risk perception; Social media; Storytelling; Variance analysis
• ISSN: 0894-9085; 1573-6563
• DOI: 10.1007/s10942-019-00316-4

HIV/AIDS has remained a public health issue affecting both children and adults. Children including those in school settings are known to be at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS from numerous avenues which they may not have the knowledge. This study examined the effectiveness of rational emotive digital storytelling therapy (REDStory) on HIV/AIDS knowledge and risk perception among Nigerian schoolchildren. The design of the study was a group randomized trial design. A total of eighty schoolchildren participated in the study. For the collection of data, we utilized the HIV Knowledge Questionnaire (Carey and Schroder in AIDS Educ Prev 14:174–184, 2002 ) and the Perceived Risk of HIV Scale (Napper et al. in AIDS Behav 16(40):1075–1083, 2012 ). To analyze the collected data, we employed ANOVA with repeated-measures and t test statistics. The study post-treatment results showed that the REDStory intervention significantly improved the degree of knowledge and perception of risk of HIV/AIDS among the schoolchildren in the treatment group in comparison to those in the waitlisted control group. In addition, follow-up results showed that the schoolchildren in the treatment group maintained the significant effect which the REDStory intervention had on them with regard to improved knowledge and risk perception of HIV/AIDS. The study outcomes implies that the application of REDStory for improving knowledge and perception of risk of HIV/AIDS among Nigerian schoolchildren is beneficial and therefore warrants further clinical utility and adaptation.