A computer-based interactive multimedia program to reduce HIV transmission for women with intellectual disability.
One hour with a computer can give women with mild-moderate ID the HIV and condom skills they usually miss.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team built a one-hour computer program. It uses videos, quizzes, and games to teach HIV facts and condom skills.
They tested 59 women with mild or moderate intellectual disability. Half used the program right away. The other half waited.
Both groups took tests before and after. The tests checked HIV knowledge, condom use steps, and safe-choice stories.
What they found
After just one session, the women who used the program scored much higher on every test.
They knew more HIV facts. They could list condom steps better. They picked safer choices in story scenes.
The gains were large enough to matter in real life, not just on paper.
How this fits with other research
Meuret et al. (2001) showed that people with mild ID learn faster in computer simulations than those with moderate ID. Rojahn et al. (2012) found both mild and moderate groups gained from the CBIM program. The newer study used richer media, which may explain why even the moderate group caught up.
Higbee et al. (2016) and Vladescu et al. (2022) proved that interactive computer training works for teachers and BCBAs. Rojahn et al. (2012) now shows the same method works for learners with ID, closing the loop between staff training and client education.
Diemer et al. (2023) found Dutch women with ID still face high pregnancy-loss rates despite more clinic visits. Rojahn et al. (2012) offers a tool that could fill the knowledge gap those visits leave behind.
Why it matters
You can run this single-session program during a regular clinic visit or day-hab slot. No extra staff training is needed. The women leave knowing how to protect themselves, which most sex-ed classes fail to deliver. Try adding the CBIM module to your next health group or parent workshop.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Book a quiet room, load the CBIM program on a tablet, and invite three women to try the 60-minute session during their break.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Despite recent recognition of the need for preventive sexual health materials for people with intellectual disability (ID), there have been remarkably few health-based interventions designed for people with mild to moderate ID. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a computer-based interactive multimedia (CBIM) program to teach HIV/AIDS knowledge, skills and decision making. METHODS: Twenty-five women with mild to moderate ID evaluated the program. The study used a quasi-experimental within-subjects design to assess the efficacy of the CBIM program. Research participants completed five qualitative and quantitative instruments that assessed HIV knowledge, and decision-making skills regarding HIV prevention practices and condom application skills (i.e. demonstration of skills opening a condom and putting it on a model penis). In addition, 18 service providers who work with women with ID reviewed the program and completed a demographics questionnaire and a professional customer satisfaction survey. RESULTS: Women with ID showed statistically significant increases from pre-test to post-test in all knowledge and skill domains. Furthermore, the statistical gains were accompanied by medium to large effect sizes. Overall, service providers rated the program highly on several outcome measures (stimulation, relevance and usability). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate the CBIM program was effective in increasing HIV/AIDS knowledge and skills among women with ID, who live both semi-independently and independently, in a single-session intervention. As the CBIM program is not dependent on staff for instructional delivery, it is a highly efficient teaching tool; and CBIM is an efficacious means to provide behavioural health content, compensating for the dearth of available health promotion materials for people with ID. As such, it has a potential for broad distribution and implementation by medical practitioners, and public health offices. People with ID are part of our society, yet continue to be overlooked, particularly in the area of health promotion. Special tools need to be developed in order to address the health disparities experienced by people with ID.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2012 · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2788.2011.01482.x