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Hepatitis C: Intervention Programming for Youth at Risk - Final Consolidated Report

Appendix E - Detailed Results of Focus Groups (by City)

Please note:
The information in this report should not be taken as reflective of the populations of these cities as a whole, but as an indication of the current knowledge of these particular participants. Trends across all cities may be taken as a good indication of general knowledge on the subject.

(As participants at the Montreal focus group were peer intermediaries who had received training in hepatitis C, their results are not included in this question.)

Knowledge of hepatitis C (unprompted)
	Halifax	Toronto	Calgary	Vancouver	Whitehorse
It is a viral infection of the liver.	X	X	X	X	X
It is transmitted in the blood, through:	X	X	X	X	X
needles	X	X	X	X	X
razors	X	X		X
toothbrushes	X	X	X	X
piercing and tattoos		X		X	X
snorting equipment		X
fighting, with open wounds on both people			X
No vaccine exists against it (only for A & B).				X
Symptoms: flu-like, nausea, fatigue.		X		X
Sometimes people don't have symptoms.		X		X
Effects of drinking alcohol by hepatitis C + people		X		X	X
There is some form of treatment for it.					X
Compared it to AIDS, in terms of transmission or concern over it			X	X	X

 

Messengers
	Halifax	Toronto	Calgary	Vancouver	Whitehorse	Montreal
Your partner	X
A friend	X	X	X	X		X
A youth counsellor	X		X	X		X
A doctor or nurse	X		X			X
Parents or other relatives	X			X	X
Someone who has it already - they would know	X	X	X	X		X
A telephone health line, with trained professionals	X				X
A health clinic with free, anonymous testing	X			X	X
The Internet				X
The news				X
Elders		X	X
"Some" teachers			X
Emergency health workers (Ambulance medics)			X
Reading material			X
Trust no one		X	X

 

Materials
1. Large - Manitoba	Bad. Really, really long. Like it because it has good information for people who are pregnant (as I am). Like book format
2. Postcard - orange & black	Good info, but have to think to figure it out. Like it because it's orange. Turned it over, and it gives good info - how it's transmitted. Lists what to watch out for. Good reviews because it s so straightforward. Many said they d take it - asked if we had extra copies.
3. FX - pamphlet	Like idea of comic book. Would sit down and read it. Could see this as a cartoon in a magazine for youth. Blunt, very open - doesn't try to hide the info, is matter-of-fact. Very cool looking - doesn't look like a book on disease. I would read it in front of other people. Can't read it, but looks good (comment from non-French reader).
4. FX - magazine	Good info; very high approval of graphics, colour, etc. Too big; hard to carry around. Lots of slang.
5. Be Street Smart	Has a lot of everything - info on being street-wise. Lots of information, on lots of topics. Would read it. Wouldn't read all that, maybe breeze through it. Pictures are good.
6. Postcard - Safer Partying	Not preachy; realistic. Good tips, taking account of what people really do. A bit too wordy, but catches your attention. Picked it up because of the art, colours. Looks cool. Explains things I would never think of - what you should do re the drugs you use - tell your friends, prepare yourself. Lots of teens go out partying; get drunk, pass out, don't have a ride home; don't plan ahead. Writing is a little small. Title doesn't tell you anything. Print too small, too much to read.
7. Postcard - Safer Body Art	Good info on going into a body art place; what to look for. Good graphics, pictures - draws your attention. Would pick it up. Like idea of postcards. Short and sweet. Easy to hand out; could even be smaller. Good basic info, not too much.
8. Postcard - People	Liked the colours - pretty, would pick it up. Too little info, but small, so that's good.
9. Postcard - Hep C (bugs)	Explains how to reduce risk; high-risk activities. Big bold letters.
10. Postcard - STDs (condoms)	Colourful, caught my eye. Tells the basic facts. Short and simple is best. Language can't be big and complicated. Needs to be really basic. Put a little more info on it. Like the fact that it has contact numbers.
11. Postcard - Harm reduction	Would pick it up; good quote on front.
12. Postcard - HIV/AIDS	Likes the message, the "trippy" colours. Agrees with the message, except for the part where they are telling you what to do. With too many messages, no one pays attention
13. Thumbnail - Fun ways…	Very well accepted - one of the most popular and one many agreed they would take away with them, asked if we had extras. Colourful, written in "our language". Liked how it rates the risks. Good, basic, simple information that participants related to. "Tells you what to look out for."
14. Thumbnail - IDU	As an ex-user, this is useful. Teaches me about how to prevent AIDS. Good info. The cover clearly says what it's about: injection drug use.
15. Thumbnail - Hep C	It has a phone number for more info, and that's good. Don't like the fact that it is wordy. It's boring - should be brighter and bolder, more interesting looking. Too small, too many words. Small thing to read. All the information is there.
16. Sex and Drugs	Catchy name, but too long to read. Like the happy face. Cover grabs attention. Good that it has contact numbers. Good info on what it is, how to prevent the spread. Works because of the clear pictures. Format strange - too big to open up, wouldn't want to open it on the bus. Shows how to put on a condom - useful info. Bold cover. SEX attracts your attention. Don't like the colour. Good size; pictures; bold print. Convenient, but a little long to read. The fact that it's subtitled is useful. Well-written. Like smiley faces When I see sex and drugs on a piece of paper, it grabs my attention - my favourite thinks to do in life Colours stand out; words grab your attention. It's small, can carry it around easily. Detailed info.
17. Inside the walls	Really good. Has all the right info. Has realistic pictures showing shooting equipment. Tells you how to stay healthy if you have hep C. Has English and French. Cover is good. A bit too much text. Good reviews - particularly the look of it.
18. Safe tattooing and piercing	Would read it. Wouldn't really pay attention, though. Would change cover. Boring - needs more colour.
19. HC - Hepatitis C	Like it; would read it. Caught my eye. Looks like a guy giving you the finger. Serious message - you could have it. Didn't read it. Would read it and keep it on me. Others didn't believe he would. Others said they wouldn't read it; would chuck it. They thought the information and tone was good, but that the presentation (colour, graphics, etc.) was boring.
20. Safe Body Art	Wouldn't change anything. Thinking about getting more tattoos, and this tells you what to expect; what to see. How to care for your tattoos, etc. Cool.
21. Tattooing and piercing	Have a lot of friends who want to get tattoos. Would be good if they read this. Good info, but would add more detail. Graphics are okay, but not something that would attract my eye. Should have more colour. Don't like it. Doesn't teach you anything. Want something small and short. Artwork fine, don't mind it. Have several tattoos. 1950's picture is too old. Should have actual pictures of what disinfecting info looks like. Provide it everywhere. Too many words; use more pictures. Tattoo parlours should all be regulated.
22. Posters (French only) (no English-language posters available at time of testing)	Posters were generally thought a good idea to attract attention. One produced by the Canadian Liver Foundation was thought particularly good, as it addressed less known transmission methods - piercing, tattoos, razors, tooth-brushes.

 

Effective Media for the Message
	Halifax	Toronto	Calgary	Vancouver	Whitehorse	Montreal
Bus or billboard ads, bus shelter ads; bench advertising.	X	X		X
Web site, as long as it had an easy name to remember	X			Not supported	Not supported	X
TV ads (MTV)	X			X		X
Messages on condom wrappers, beer bottles/cans, rolling papers, cigarette packages	X
Posters	In bathrooms		X	Not in bathrooms	X	In bathrooms
A poll in the newspaper			X
Workshops for people		X	X
Give teams of youth a job, spreading the word	X	X	X	X	X
Promote awareness at concerts, shows	X		X
Use celebrities / put normal people in the spotlight			X
Through schools				X	X
Radio ads				X	X
On skateboards					X
A hip song/CD	X					X

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