Evaluating AIDS prevention: Outcome, Implementation, and Mediating Variables

• NCJ Number: 129502
• Journal: Evaluation and Program Planning Volume: 13 Issue: 1 Dated: special issue (1990) Pages: 55-66
• Author(s): L C Leviton; R O Valdiserri
• Date Published: 1990
• Length: 12 pages
• Grant Number(s): U62/CCU3001060-01; NO1-A1-32513; NO1-A1-72632; 1 R18 DA-05761-01
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institutes of Health; National Institute on Drug Abuse; US Dept of Health and Human Services
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Recommendations are presented regarding several conceptual, measurement, and analysis variables in AIDS prevention and evaluation programs. Findings from evaluations of the AIDS Prevention Project, targeted at gay and bisexual men, and from evaluations of a demonstration AIDS prevention outreach and education project for intravenous drug users (IVDUs) and their sex partners are used to illustrate some of these recommendations.

Abstract

Evaluation should be based on objectives of the prevention programs so that effect size can be translated into a yield for risk reduction. Secular trend toward risk reductions will either reduce or disguise effects sizes. Measurement of behavior change as the distal outcome in most evaluations, measurement of all behaviors that are relevant to risk reduction, and measurement of interval level variables are recommended. Once these measurements are placed in perspective, then more proximal measures of coverage, service delivery, and mediating variables need to be estimated. Lastly, a variety of mediating variables need to be measured, particularly those that may affect behavior and assist in tailoring health education to the at-risk populations. 5 figures and 48 references (Author abstract modified)