Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Indigenous youth are overrepresented in the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Canada. Arts-based initiatives are popular strategies for HIV/AIDS education with Indigenous youth; however, little research exists on their use, effectiveness, and acceptability. This study aimed to evaluate Indigenous youths' HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitude change after participation an arts-based HIV/AIDS education workshop. Eleven self-identifying Indigenous youth, ages 11-17, attended a 3.5-day participatory filmmaking workshop hosted as part of a community-based study examining the use of the arts in HIV/AIDS education with Indigenous youth in Labrador. Participatory filmmaking was used to engage participants and create dialogue about HIV/AIDS, sexual health, and health in general. A mixed methods design was employed to assess knowledge and attitude change post-workshop. Participants completed a questionnaire immediately before and after the workshop and were interviewed about their experiences two weeks after the workshop. Content analysis was used to analyze the interview transcripts for themes related to HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitude change. The participants significantly improved their HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitudes after the workshop. HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitude change was significant for overall scores [Mean difference (M) =6.3; 95% CI 5.2-7.4]; knowledge scores (M = 3.9; 95% CI 2.8- 5.0); and attitude scores (M = 1.8; CI 95% 0.7-2.9). Analysis of the interview transcripts revealed the participants: learned what HIV is; learned about stigma; operationalized new knowledge; learned about healthy relationships; and attributed their knowledge and attitude change to the environment created through participatory filmmaking. These findings suggest participatory filmmaking is a promising strategy for HIV/AIDS education with Indigenous youth. Improving HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitudes is essential to addressing the overrepresentation of Indigenous youth affected and infected by HIV/AIDS.