The Influence of a Behavior Change Communication Program on Youth Sexual Abstinence: An Application of Multilevel Model

Wenjuan Wang, Johns Hopkins University

Zambia is one of the African countries hardly hitted by the HIV epidemic. Youths, accounting for 16% of total population in this country are the currently HIV/AIDS victims. The HEART campaign implemented from 1999 to 2000, applied multiple communication ways to bring influential information to promote abstinence and condom use among youth. This study is applying multiple model to investigate the influence of this behavior change program as well as the effect of several individual and community level factors on youth sexual abstinence. The results will bring some recommendation for the future sexual behavior change program