Impact Data - Soul City Series 6
The sixth series of Soul City , an edutainment project, consisted of a television drama, radio drama and print materials dealing with the issues of AIDS and children, xenophobia, asthma, depression, and adult learning. According to the evaluation, as the AIDS epidemic intensifies, more and more people are knowingly affected. There has been a significant increase in the percentage of people knowing someone who is HIV positive: Before Soul City 6 (2002), 22.5% of respondents knew someone who is HIV positive, while after Soul City 6, 28.3% knew someone. There has also been an increase in the percentage of people knowing a person who is sick from AIDS. In 2002, 18% of respondents knew someone; in 2003 this increased to 26%.
Methodologies
The evaluation was a national before-and-after panel study with a national sample of 1500 adults and 1500 children. The data were analysed using a variety of methods including multiple logistic regression models and propensity score analysis. In this way various demographic variables such as age, education, access to media, sex, area and race were
controlled for as well as access to other possible large media interventions which could be confounders.
Knowledge Shifts
There was an increase in the percentage of people knowing of Adult Basic Education Training (ABET) classes from before Soul City 6 (2002) to after Soul City 6 (2003). Both exposure to Soul City TV and radio was associated with knowing of ABET classes. There was an increased likelihood of knowing of ABET classes of 26% in those with medium exposure to Soul City radio and 28% with high exposure to Soul City radio. Medium and high exposure to Soul City TV increased the likelihood of knowing of ABET classes by 33% and 6%, respectively: 53.1% of those with high exposure to Soul City television knew of classes, compared to 30.8% of those with no exposure to Soul City television.
In general, knowledge about asthma was relatively good to start with, with 92% of respondents indicating that they knew what asthma was before the intervention. Soul City radio and multimedia were associated with knowing that a sign of asthma is coughing and wheezing after exercise: There was a 10.5% increase in correct knowledge amongst those exposed to Soul City radio compared to those not exposed (p<0.01) and there was a 76% increase in the likelihood of a correct answer amongst those with high exposure to Soul City multimedia. There was a significant change before and after Soul City 6 in the percentage of people disagreeing with the statement “people with asthma cannot play sport”. In 2002, 51% disagreed while in 2003, 59.4% disagreed. When comparing those exposed to the Soul City asthma book with those not exposed, a 7.9% improvement in knowledge on this item was observed amongst the exposure group (p<0.01).
There was a significant increase in awareness of depression. Before Soul City 6, 59.6% of respondents said they knew what depression was and after Soul City 6, 68% did. Those with high access to Soul City booklets were 3.27 times more likely to say they know what depression was than those with no access.
In general, knowledge about asthma was relatively good to start with, with 92% of respondents indicating that they knew what asthma was before the intervention. Soul City radio and multimedia were associated with knowing that a sign of asthma is coughing and wheezing after exercise: There was a 10.5% increase in correct knowledge amongst those exposed to Soul City radio compared to those not exposed (p<0.01) and there was a 76% increase in the likelihood of a correct answer amongst those with high exposure to Soul City multimedia. There was a significant change before and after Soul City 6 in the percentage of people disagreeing with the statement “people with asthma cannot play sport”. In 2002, 51% disagreed while in 2003, 59.4% disagreed. When comparing those exposed to the Soul City asthma book with those not exposed, a 7.9% improvement in knowledge on this item was observed amongst the exposure group (p<0.01).
There was a significant increase in awareness of depression. Before Soul City 6, 59.6% of respondents said they knew what depression was and after Soul City 6, 68% did. Those with high access to Soul City booklets were 3.27 times more likely to say they know what depression was than those with no access.
Practices
When asked what they did when someone they knew had depression, significantly more people said that they talked to the depressed person after Soul City 6 (48.3%) than before Soul City 6 (35.9%), and significantly more said that they urged the person to seek treatment after Soul City 6 (36.2%) than before(26.3%). Various components of the Soul City 6 intervention were associated with this behaviour. For example, high exposure to Soul City TV increased the
likelihood of talking to the person by 174% and high exposure to Soul City booklets increased the likelihood by 194%. High exposure to Soul City radio increased the likelihood of encouraging the person to seek treatment by 78%.
Those who answered “yes” to the question "Do you know someone who is HIV positive?" (28.3% in 2003 and 22.5% in 2002) were asked if they had helped or supported someone with HIV in any way. When comparing answers received during the 2002 and 2003 surveys, although there was an increase, the difference was not statistically significant. In 2002 47.7% and in 2003 49.5% had helped or supported someone who is HIV-positive in some way. The factors which increased the likelihood of having helped or supported someone who is HIV positive were: having no education or having tertiary education, and high exposure to Soul Buddyz booklets and to Soul City booklets.
Those who answered “yes” to the question "Do you know someone who is HIV positive?" (28.3% in 2003 and 22.5% in 2002) were asked if they had helped or supported someone with HIV in any way. When comparing answers received during the 2002 and 2003 surveys, although there was an increase, the difference was not statistically significant. In 2002 47.7% and in 2003 49.5% had helped or supported someone who is HIV-positive in some way. The factors which increased the likelihood of having helped or supported someone who is HIV positive were: having no education or having tertiary education, and high exposure to Soul Buddyz booklets and to Soul City booklets.
Attitudes
From before Soul City 6 (2002) to after Soul City 6 (2003) there was improvement in a range of attitudes relating to adult education. Soul City radio was a significant predictor of these positive attitudes.
When asked whether people with asthma can live normal lives there was no significant change in the overall sample before and after Soul City 6; however, there was a 15.5% improvement in desired attitudes amongst people exposed to Soul City radio compared to those not exposed. (p<0.01), and a 5.4% improvement amongst those exposed to the Soul City asthma book compared to those not exposed.
Soul City 6 media is associated with desired responses (disagree) on the item “most people in my family believe that only weak people get depressed”. Exposure to Soul City 6 television improved desired responses by 12% compared to people not exposed (p<0.01), while exposure to the Soul City depression booklets improved desired responses by 8.3% compared to those not exposed (p<0.05). Sixty percent of those with no exposure to Soul City 6 TV disagreed or strongly disagreed while 79.8% with high Soul City 6 TV disagreed or strongly disagreed that most people in their family believe that only weak people get depressed. There was, however, not a shift in the overall sample from before to after the intervention on this item.
Between 2002 and 2003 there seems to have been a deterioration of attitudes and subjective norms relating to xenophobia. Key attitudes deteriorated from 2002 to 2003, such as “ I believe that foreigners should go back to their own country” (59.6% agreed in 2002 vs 66.1% in 2003), “I believe that foreigners take jobs away from South Africans” (71.3% agreed in 2002 vs 75.1% in 2003), and “I believe that foreigners bring crime into South Africa” (65.6% agreed in 2002 vs. 70.5% in 2003). The interaction with Soul City is not clear but in some cases exposure to Soul City is associated with more negative attitudes and norms. For example, those with high exposure to Soul City radio were 1.5 times more likely to say that foreigners should go back to their own country than those not exposed.
There was an increase in people agreeing with the statement “I believe that the community should care for people living with HIV/AIDS” between 2002 and 2003. Before Soul City 6, 89.7% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, while after Soul City 6, 93.4% agreed or strongly agreed.
When asked whether people with asthma can live normal lives there was no significant change in the overall sample before and after Soul City 6; however, there was a 15.5% improvement in desired attitudes amongst people exposed to Soul City radio compared to those not exposed. (p<0.01), and a 5.4% improvement amongst those exposed to the Soul City asthma book compared to those not exposed.
Soul City 6 media is associated with desired responses (disagree) on the item “most people in my family believe that only weak people get depressed”. Exposure to Soul City 6 television improved desired responses by 12% compared to people not exposed (p<0.01), while exposure to the Soul City depression booklets improved desired responses by 8.3% compared to those not exposed (p<0.05). Sixty percent of those with no exposure to Soul City 6 TV disagreed or strongly disagreed while 79.8% with high Soul City 6 TV disagreed or strongly disagreed that most people in their family believe that only weak people get depressed. There was, however, not a shift in the overall sample from before to after the intervention on this item.
Between 2002 and 2003 there seems to have been a deterioration of attitudes and subjective norms relating to xenophobia. Key attitudes deteriorated from 2002 to 2003, such as “ I believe that foreigners should go back to their own country” (59.6% agreed in 2002 vs 66.1% in 2003), “I believe that foreigners take jobs away from South Africans” (71.3% agreed in 2002 vs 75.1% in 2003), and “I believe that foreigners bring crime into South Africa” (65.6% agreed in 2002 vs. 70.5% in 2003). The interaction with Soul City is not clear but in some cases exposure to Soul City is associated with more negative attitudes and norms. For example, those with high exposure to Soul City radio were 1.5 times more likely to say that foreigners should go back to their own country than those not exposed.
There was an increase in people agreeing with the statement “I believe that the community should care for people living with HIV/AIDS” between 2002 and 2003. Before Soul City 6, 89.7% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, while after Soul City 6, 93.4% agreed or strongly agreed.
Increased Discussion of Development Issues
Parents exposed to Soul City TV and radio were more likely to talk to their children about issues such as HIV and AIDS, illness, and death and dying than parents not exposed. Comparing those exposed to Soul City TV and radio with those not exposed, the percentage of people talking to their children increased by 12.9 % (TV, p<0.01) and 9.4% (radio, p<0.01) . Medium exposure to Soul City print material increased the likelihood of parents talking to children about these issues by 66%.
Access
Recognition of the Soul City logo remains high, with over 80% of adults and a higher percentage of children recognising it. 53.5% of adults and 61.5% of children had watched the television show, while a third of adults and 26% of children had listened to the radio programme. The various Soul City booklets were recognised by about one-third of adults, and read by about half of those who recognised them. This means that Soul City 6 reached over 9 million adults and 2 million children.
The Soul City television audience is largely young, with the highest access in the 25-29 age group (66.5%), and lowest in the 60-69 year age group(37.5%). The distribution of Soul City 6 radio listeners was relatively even from 17-39 years old, and then dropped off in the older age groups.
The Soul City television audience is largely young, with the highest access in the 25-29 age group (66.5%), and lowest in the 60-69 year age group(37.5%). The distribution of Soul City 6 radio listeners was relatively even from 17-39 years old, and then dropped off in the older age groups.
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