Dance4life: Evaluating a global HIV and AIDS prevention program for young people using the Pre-Im framework for process evaluation

Dance4life is a global organisation specifically aiming to establish a social youth movement around HIV and AIDS prevention. The aim of this chapter is to evaluate the implementation of the dance4life school-based HIV and AIDS prevention program, by sending questionnaires to two target groups in Africa and Europe, i.e. the staff members of the local implementing partners and participants of the dance4life program. As there was no existing framework to evaluate all relevant dimensions, the Pre-Im framework for process evaluation was developed. This framework makes a distinction between Prerequisites and Implementation topics. In total, 36 African and European staff members of implementing partners (51.5%) and 485 African and European participants (24.8%) from fourteen different countries completed the questionnaire. The results showed that, from a theoretical point of view, dance4life provides a robust HIV and AIDS prevention program. Both the implementing partners and the participants assess the dance4life concept and the health prevention school program as strong. This is an important prerequisite to realize successful implementation. However, the social movement concept needs more attention. A considerable proportion of participants is not well registered, which makes it impossible to remain in contact and reach continuation and maintenance. In conclusion, the continued involvement of participants after the school program has finished challenges dance4life's main goal to establish a social youth movement around HIV and AIDS worldwide.