ENHANCING ADOLESCENTS' HIV/AIDS KNOWLEDGE VIA AUDIOVISUAL TELEHEALTH: A HEALTH PROMOTION MODEL APPROACH

Abstract

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) remain critical global public health threats, with adolescents being highly vulnerable due to risky behaviors and suboptimal reproductive health literacy. In Cimahi City, HIV cases increased by 61 new cases in 2024, with 9 cases occurring in the 15–19 age group. Although prevention is of the utmost urgency, conventional educational methods are often ill-suited to the characteristics of today’s adolescents, and there remains a lack of empirical evidence on the effectiveness of digital health education among vocational school students in high-incidence areas. Therefore, innovative digital health education, such as audiovisual telehealth based on Nola Pender’s Health Promotion Model (HPM), is essential for improving preventive behaviors. The purpose to determine the effect of implementing the Health Promotion Model through audiovisual telehealth on HIV/AIDS knowledge among adolescents. This quantitative study applied a pre-experimental one-group pre-test post-test design, wherein the intervention consisted of a structured health education program delivered through interactive audiovisual telehealth sessions. The research population comprised all students at Karya Bhakti Pusdikpal Vocational School, from whom a purposive sample of 75 respondents was selected. Data were collected via a validated structured questionnaire designed to comprehensively evaluate HIV/AIDS literacy and psychosocial behavioral determinants. The instrument was divided into three primary domains: (1) demographic characteristics; (2) cognitive knowledge, encompassing reproductive anatomy, HIV transmission vectors, and preventative strategies; and (3) psychosocial constructs based on Pender’s Health Promotion Model, specifically measuring perceived benefits of safe practices, perceived barriers to healthcare access, and self-efficacy in negotiating peer pressure. The collected data were then analyzed using the Marginal Homogeneity test. The statistical analysis demonstrated a highly significant increase in reproductive health knowledge regarding HIV/AIDS after the intervention (p-value = 0.000 < α = 0.05). Prior to the intervention, most adolescents had low knowledge, which shifted substantially to high knowledge post-intervention. The implementation of the Health Promotion Model via audiovisual telehealth significantly improved HIV/AIDS knowledge among adolescents, serving as an effective digital approach to advance adolescent reproductive healthcare. Future research should use randomized controlled trials with longitudinal follow-up to evaluate long-term knowledge retention and actual behavioral changes.