The role of peer educators in HIV prevention at a higher education institution in Johannesburg

• In Event: Dissertation workshop session
  In Special Session: Youth

Proposal

Supervisor: Prof. Jace Pillay and
Co-supervisor: Prof Anthony Onwuegbuzie

South Africa has the highest prevalence of HIV in the world, reaching almost 7 million people in 2015 (Avert, 2016). Statistics indicate that the prevalence of HIV in young women, aged 15-24 are almost 4 times higher than that of men in the same age group (Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC, 2012) , accounting for almost 25% of new infections in South Africa. Peer education is about harnessing young people's creativity and credibility to promote healthy life-style choices. Worldwide peer education is one of the most widely used strategies to address the HIV/AIDS pandemic (UNAIDS: 1999) and informally peer education is widely used in South Africa (HEAIDS: Peer education project report, 2006). The UNAIDS 2016–2021 Strategy: On the Fast-Track to end AIDS, Targets for 2020 stipulates Target 3 as 90% of young people are empowered with the skills, knowledge and capability to protect themselves from HIV and this includes in this study both peer educators and first year students at a university in Johannesburg. The study focuses on the role of peer educators in HIV prevention, in their own lives and in the lives of students they assist at a university in Johannesburg and on the current peer educator programme and how the programme can be revised and changed based on the findings. This research study aims to investigate the role/s of peer educators in the prevention of HIV amongst themselves and amongst first year students at a university in Johannesburg. Hence the main research questions are:
1. What are peer educators perceptions of their role in preventing HIV infections amongst themselves?
2. What are peer educators perceptions of their role in preventing HIV infections amongst first year students at a university in Johannesburg?
3. What are the current perceptions relating to knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of first year students regarding their sexual health (relating to HIV and HIV prevention)?
4. How can the findings could be used to strengthen or refine the current peer educator programme for students at a university in Johannesburg?

A sequential explanatory mixed methods study will be conducted in three distinct phases. In phase one data will be collected through a baseline survey on the knowledge, attitudes and behaviours (KAB) of peer educators as well as first year students at a university in relation to HIV prevention. In phase two more data on the knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of peer educators and first year students they work with towards HIV prevention will be collected through qualitative data collection methods. In the final phase of the study, the quantitative and qualitative results will be integrated to strengthen or refine the current peer educator programme on HIV prevention. The research paradigm to be used is pragmatism. Pragmatism is a deconstructive paradigm that advocates the use of mixed methods in research which “sidesteps the contentious issues of truth and reality” (Feilzer 2010, p. 8), and “focuses instead on 'what works' as the truth regarding the research questions under investigation” (Tashakkori & Teddlie 2003b, p. 713). Pragmatism research philosophy accepts concepts to be relevant only if they support action.

According to Johnson and Onwuegbuzie (2004), [a] key feature of mixed methods research is its methodological pluralism or eclecticism, which frequently results in superior research (compared to monomethod research). Mixed methods research will be successful as more investigators study and help advance its concepts and as they regularly practice it. Furthermore they state, [p]ragmatism also helps to shed light on how research approaches can be mixed fruitfully (Hoshmand, 2003); the bottom line is that research approaches should be mixed in ways that offer the best opportunities for answering important research questions.

The current research will add to knowledge and theory about the role of peer educators in HIV prevention in higher education institutions. It is proposed that peer educators can influence the state of health of their peers. Research such as this can contribute significantly to assisting in understanding how peer educators can be used to influence the state of health of students in tertiary institutions in South Africa. The current peer educator programme could be revised based on the findings that will be generated from the data collected and will assist the university in Johannesburg to make informed decisions relating to HIV prevention and the use of peer educators in HIV prevention at the University. It is envisaged that the findings of this study will assist in providing policy briefs on HIV prevention amongst students at the university studied.

Author

• Trishana Devi Soni, University of Johannesburg