Influence of parent youth interpersonal communication barriers on hiv aids prevention study of north kamagambo location migori county Kenya

This study examined the influence of parent and youth interpersonal communication barriers on HIV prevention in North Kamagambo Location, Migori County. The objectives of the study were: to investigate the existing nature of interpersonal communication between parent and youth on HIV prevention, to establish barriers to effective interpersonal communication between parent and youth on HIV prevention and to find out the measures that can be taken to overcome the barriers. The research questions that the study sought to answer were: what were the existing nature of interpersonal communication between parent and youth on HIV prevention? What were the barriers to effective interpersonal communication between parent and youth on HIV prevention? What measures should be taken to overcome those barriers? The study covered a population of 18,775 according to the 2009 National Census Report. The study was informed by literature that supported the presumption that, the youth rarely communicate with their parents on matters of HIV and this is a reality that increases their vulnerability. The study used Social Learning Theory and Health Belief Model to demonstrate how the youth can learn from their parents through modelling. However based on other social psychological and cultural factors, it is not always a process of a guaranteed learning and therefore Health Belief Model was also used to show how individuals adopt new health behaviours based on their personal beliefs of the benefits of such behaviours. Qualitative method was used to answer questions related to perception, attitude, emotion and opinion while quantitative method was to analyse the frequency of occurrence of thematic elements. Simple random sampling was used to select participants who consisted of fathers, mothers, sons and daughters with a target population of240, while stratified sampling was used to maintain the sample proportionality on the stratification. Focus group discussion and in-depth Interview revealed that, there was a problematic interpersonal communication relationship about HIV prevention between parents and their youth especially among well-educated parents. It was also established that, respondents depends on their cultural beliefs which hinders them from discussing sexual matters