Mass media campaigns can effectively promote condom use and knowledge about HIV infection, according to results of a meta-analysis involving more than 140,000 people. Such campaigns proved more effective in countries that scored lower on the human development index score.
Mass media campaigns emerged early in the HIV epidemic as a tool to promote condom use and increase knowledge of HIV prevention and transmission. To determine how effective these campaigns are and to identify factors that favor success, researchers conducted a meta-analysis of HIV media campaigns from 1986 through 2012.
The investigators searched electronic databases, Web sites, journals, and reference lists of previous reviews to identify studies that measured before-and-after effectiveness of HIV-focused mass media campaigns. They calculated effectiveness as the standardized mean difference (d) between pretest and posttest assessments of effectiveness. Identified campaigns had to target the general population since 1986 and be available by September 30, 2012.
Mark Mascolini
International AIDS Society
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