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This study sought to evaluate the effect of Formal AIDS Programme (Treatment) and Environment
(Urban and Rural localities) on adolescent students’ knowledge and attitude towards AIDS.
Ten secondary schools were randomly selected in each locality to participate in the study. The ten schools
in each locality were randomly assigned to treatment groups (5 experimental and 5 control groups). In
each selected school, 20 students were randomly selected to participate in the study. In all, the sample
consisted of 200 students in urban locality (100) students in experimental and control groups
respectively) as well as 200 students in rural locality (100) students in experimental and control groups
respectively).
The dependent variables were Knowledge of AIDS and Attitude towards AIDS, the independent variables
were Treatment, occurring at two levels (Formal AIDS Education, and no Formal AIDS Education); and
Environment, occurring at two levels (Urban and Rural). Thus, the study made use of 2x2 randomized
control group pre-test-post-test experimental designs. Six (6) hypotheses were tested at 0.05 alpha level.
Two valid and reliable instruments were used: Knowledge Test on AIDS (KTA); and AIDS Attitude Scale
(AAS). The adolescents were exposed to the treatment for a period of 6 weeks.
A 2x2 Analysis of covariance (ANCOCA)was used with pretest scores as covariates to test for interactive
and main effects. Multiple Classification Analysis(MCA) was used to determine the amount of variation
accounted for by each independent variable. Where there was a significant F ratio, a t-test was applied as
appropriate.
The result indicates that;
1. There was a significant interactive effect of Treatment and Environment (location) on adolescent
students’ knowledge of AIDS.
2. There was no significant interactive effect of Treatment and location on adolescent students’
attitude towards AIDS.
3. Post test mean score in attitude of adolescent students exposed to formal AIDS Education
programme was significantly higher than that of those not exposed to formal AIDS education
programme.
4. Post-test mean score in attitude of adolescent students living in urban areas was significantly
higher than that of those living in rural areas.
5. Post-test mean score in knowledge of urban students was significantly higher than that of rural
students under formal AIDS education treatment but not significantly different under no formal
AIDS education treatment.
6. Treatment and environment together accounted for a total variance of 23.6% in knowledge of
AIDS, and 15.2% in Attitude towards AIDS.
7. For knowledge of AIDS, treatment accounted 5.8% and environment accounted for 7.3% of the
variation.

8. For attitude towards AIDS, treatment accounted for 2.3% and environment accounted for 4.8% of
the variation.
Based on the findings, it was concluded that exposure of adolescent students to formal AIDS education
programme is an effective means of improving adolescent students knowledge and attitude towards AIDS.
However, such an exposure is more potent for improving the knowledge of urban adolescents than that of
the rural ones. It was therefore recommended that formal AIDS education be included in the Health
Education Curriculum of Senior Secondary Schools in Nigeria, particularly schools in urban localities.
KEY WORDS: Formal Education, Programme, Environment, Adolescent Student, Knowledge, AIDS,
Attitude towards AIDS.