AEGiS-15IAC: Tackling the problem of non-equivalent exposed and unexposed groups in evaluation of mass media interventions: The evaluation of an entertainment-education television drama series.

15th International AIDS Conference

Bangkok, Thailand - July 11-16, 2004

Tackling the problem of non-equivalent exposed and unexposed groups in evaluation of mass media interventions: The evaluation of an entertainment-education television drama series.

Int Conf AIDS 2004 Jul 11-16; 15:(abstract no. WeOrE1241)

kelly KJ, Kincaid L, Parker W, Ntlabati P
CADRE, Grahamstown, South Africa

ISSUES: The paper is concerned with understanding the challenges of evaluating mass media entertainment-education programmes given that the variables that influence exposure may also be associated with outcome variables making it difficult to establish equivalent exposed and unexposed groups.

DESCRIPTION: Tsha Tsha is a South African Broadcasting Corporation television series targeted at 18 to 24 year-olds with a focus on sexuality, relationships and HIV/AIDS. The paper presents the methodology and key findings of an evaluation of the first 13 episodes of this serial drama. A two stage panel design with 960 respondents is used to assess the impact of the series. Evaluation emphasis is placed on understanding changes in attitude and behaviour indicators, and changes in value attributions attached to key characters in the drama. Multiple logistic regression is used to identify factors associated with propensity to view the youth television drama series and propensity score statistical analysis is used to create six exposed and six unexposed groups matched on a composite propensity score. These groups are then compared on before and after outcome variables to evaluate the effects of the drama series. Watching the drama was discovered to have had small but significant effects on specific attitudes and behaviour commitments related to HIV/AIDS.

LESSONS LEARNED: The challenges of measuring and controlling for exposure to mass media interventions need to be addressed and may be overcome.

RECOMMENDATIONS: The use of propensity score analysis should be considered as a viable way of overcoming the problem of finding equivalent exposed and unexposed groups to measure the impact of mass media interventions.

Keywords: AEGIS, Television, Mass Media, Drama, Evaluation Studies, Teaching, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Leisure Activities, Sexual Behavior, Attitude, Data Collection, HIV Infections, Case-Control Studies, education, methods, diagnosis, classification

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