HealthWise/South Africa

Start Date: 2001

Funder: National Institute on Drug Abuse

Researchers from the Prevention Research Center and from the University of the Western Cape and the University of Cape Town in South Africa are conducting a five-year randomized trial to test the effectiveness of HealthWise, a comprehensive universal prevention program to reduce the risk of HIV/AIDS and STDs, as well as substance use, among adolescents in South Africa.

The HealthWise Project is an international research collaboration, which was initiated in 2001 between Drs. Edward Smith and Linda Caldwell from Penn State University (PSU) in the USA and Dr. Tania Vergnani (Director of the HIV/Aids Programme, UWC), and Ms. Lisa Wegner (Occupational Therapy Department, UWC). In January 2004, Prof. Alan Flisher from the Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health at the University of Cape Town, Dr. Cathy Mathews from the South Africa Medical Research Council, and Drs. Linda Collins, John Graham, and Elias Mpofu joined the research team. The project is a five-year efficacy trial, funded by U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse, to evaluate the effectiveness of the HealthWise program.

The overall goals of the HealthWise curriculum are to (1) reduce the transmission of HIV/AIDS and other STIs, (2) reduce drug and alcohol abuse, and (3) increase positive use and experience of free and leisure time. The curriculum consists of twelve lessons for Grade 8 learners, and six lessons for Grade 9 learners.


Three pictures that show the community's recognition that positive use of leisure time is important

Alternate Web Sites

Linda Caldwell's HealthWise web site

University of the Western Cape web site for HealthWise

HealthWise Curriculum

Lesson Overview

8th Grade			9th Grade
Lesson 1:	Self-Awareness	Lesson 1:	Review
Lesson 2:	Managing Anxiety	Lesson 2:	Leisure Motivation
Lesson 3:	Managing Anger	Lesson 3:	Community Connections
Lesson 4:	Exploring Free Time	Lesson 4:	Planning and Managing Leisure
Lesson 5:	Free Time In My Community	Lesson 5:	Relationships and Sexual Behavior
Lesson 6:	Beating Boredom and Developing Interests	Lesson 6:	Conflict Resolution
Lesson 7:	Overcoming Roadblocks
Lesson 8:	Decision Making
Lesson 9:	Managing Risk
Lesson 10:	Avoiding Risky Sexual Behavior
Lesson 11:	Myths and Realities of Drug Use
Lesson 12:	Avoiding and Reducing Risk

HealthWise Models

Publications

List of Presentations, and Current, Forthcoming, and Submitted Publications

World Leisure (2004) article on the project

"Educating Against AIDS"

(from Research/Penn State, July 2005)

Penn State researchers Edward Smith and Linda Caldwell are collaborating with South African colleagues to promote HealthWise in the sub-Saharan region. Read the story on the Research/Penn State web site.

Penn State Investigators

Edward Smith: Director of Evaluation Research, Prevention Research Center; eas8@psu.edu
Linda Caldwell: Professor of Recreation, Park and Tourism Management; lindac@psu.edu
Elias Mpofu: Associate Professor of Rehabilitation Services; exm31@psu.edu
Linda Collins: Director, Methodology Center; Professor of Human Development and Family Studies; lmcollins@psu.edu
John Graham: >; Professor of Biobehavioral Health; jgraham@psu.edu