Search

Past efforts to address endemic rates of sexually transmissible infections amongst young Aboriginal people living in remote/very remote Australian communities have had limited success. Peer education has been used in youth sexual health promotion but has received limited evaluation and has not been tested in remote Aboriginal settings. The Young Deadly Free youth peer education programme trained Aboriginal young people in 15 remote/very remote communities as peer educators to deliver sexual health education to other young people. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the project team and regional coordinators to understand the barriers and enablers to implementing peer education in remote communities. Programme credibility, the offer of financial gratuities, and the recruitment of peer educators with prior sexual health knowledge and/or group facilitation experience were identified as programme enablers. Implementation challenges included programme rigidity, cultural sensitivities, and retention and expectations of peer educators. Seven implications for policy and practice are identified to increase the efficacy and long term-impacts of youth peer education. Peer education for youth sexual health promotion in remote communities can be effective if young peer educators are supported appropriately and the peer education programme is part of a comprehensive sexual health promotion strategy.

Introduction: Since 2011, remote Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have experienced an outbreak of infectious syphilis, with young people aged 15–29 years over-represented in notifications. The Young Deadly Syphilis Free multi-media campaign was implemented in 12 remote regions in four Australian jurisdictions over nine months from 2017–2018. Campaign components included television and radio advertisements, social media posts, and health promotion resources available via a dedicated website. The aim of this research was to evaluate the impacts (proximal, mediator, distal) of the Young Deadly Syphilis Free campaign for young Aboriginal people and health and community workers residing in remote campaign regions. Methods: A cross-sectional (post-only) evaluation design was used. Data were collected through online surveys; metrics for social media (Facebook, Instagram) were also collected to determine campaign engagement via social media. A 22-item young people survey assessed campaign awareness, exposure, message recognition and diagnostics (proximal variables); along with intended behaviour and knowledge and attitudes (mediator variables). A 24-item health and community worker survey assessed campaign awareness, exposure, message recognition and diagnostics (proximal variables); and changes in professional practice (distal variable). Descriptive statistics summarised demographic characteristics and univariate analysis examined associations between key variables. Results: Just over half (n = 25, 58%) of young people and three quarters (n = 36; 75%) of health and community workers were aware of the campaign. Recognition of key campaign messages was high for both participant groups (>64%), and television, Facebook, and website were the most common campaign exposure routes. Positive impacts on intended behaviour (young people) and professional practice (health and community workers) were also reported. Facebook was effective in engaging some young people in campaign content and was preferred by young people for accessing information. Conclusion: The findings point to the value of utilising a multi-media campaign in raising awareness about syphilis among young Aboriginal people and health and community workers in remote Australian regions. A longer-term campaign that accommodates the diverse needs of Aboriginal young people from geographically remote communities would optimise campaign impacts and support behavioural change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Past efforts to address endemic rates of sexually transmissible infections amongst young Aboriginal people living in remote/very remote Australian communities have had limited success. Peer education has been used in youth sexual health promotion but has received limited evaluation and has not been tested in remote Aboriginal settings. The Young Deadly Free youth peer education programme trained Aboriginal young people in 15 remote/very remote communities as peer educators to deliver sexual health education to other young people. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the project team and regional coordinators to understand the barriers and enablers to implementing peer education in remote communities. Programme credibility, the offer of financial gratuities, and the recruitment of peer educators with prior sexual health knowledge and/or group facilitation experience were identified as programme enablers. Implementation challenges included programme rigidity, cultural sensitivities, and retention and expectations of peer educators. Seven implications for policy and practice are identified to increase the efficacy and long term-impacts of youth peer education. Peer education for youth sexual health promotion in remote communities can be effective if young peer educators are supported appropriately and the peer education programme is part of a comprehensive sexual health promotion strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]