Utilisation of focus group discussion (FGD) as a research tool in community health nursing practice : a case study of the views and beliefs of secondary school students in Nigeria about HIV / AIDS and its prevention

Abstract

Background: The purpose of this paper was to show the need for, and the process or strategies for qualitative study in community health nursing practice. The paper presents a focus group discussion, used as a case study, as a descriptive base for HIV/AIDS preventive health education intervention for the target population. This also severed as a guide for the development of an AIDS education curriculum. Method: Six focus group discussions (three male and three female groups) were conducted in three secondary schools. The aim was to obtain in-depth knowledge of the students' beliefs and views about HIV/AIDS and its prevention. The discussions involved 25 students comprised of 12 males and 13 females. Results showed that the students had knowledge gaps related to HIV/AIDS, as well as negative attitudes towards prevention. Some of the reasons participants gave for engaging in sexual intercourse included peer pressure and their desire to be 'big boys'. Suggestions focused on designing health education interventions aimed at eliminating misconceptions and increasing the use of qualitative study (focus group discussion) to obtain a rich variety of data that could be used to guide interventions.