Is there a relationship between students’ knowledge of HIV/AIDS ways of transmission and their responses regarding their proximity to people living with HIV/AIDS?

Santos, Vanessa Prado; Coelho, Maria Thereza Ávila Dantas; Macário, Estéfani Lima; Oliveira, Tâmara Cerqueira da Silva

doi:10.1590/1413-81232017228.25892015

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FREE THEMES • Ciênc. saúde colet. 22 (8) • Aug 2017 • https://doi.org/10.1590/1413-81232017228.25892015 copy

Is there a relationship between students’ knowledge of HIV/AIDS ways of transmission and their responses regarding their proximity to people living with HIV/AIDS?

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Abstract

This paper aims to identify college students’ knowledge of HIV ways of transmission and correlate it with their answers concerning the proximity to people living with HIV/AIDS. We applied a questionnaire from the Brazilian Ministry of Health to 591 health undergraduate students. We analyzed the 10 questions about the virus ways of transmission, evaluating the number of correct answers and verifying the association between the number of correct answers and questions related to the proximity to people living with HIV/AIDS. Most students (96%) answered correctly 7 to 10 questions related to HIV ways of transmission (Group A) and 4% answered correctly 3 to 6 questions (Group B). Correlating these two subgroups and the answers about the non-acceptance of proximity to people living with HIV/AIDS, we found significant association between Group B and the agreement that the employer should fire an employee living with HIV and the statement that they would feel uncomfortable if a child living with HIV/AIDS studied at the same school as their own children. Negative opinions concerning the proximity to people living with HIV/AIDS were less prevalent, but were correlated to the lower knowledge of HIV ways of transmission.

HIV; AIDS; Students; University

HIV / AIDS ways of transmission (10 questions)	Answers
HIV / AIDS ways of transmission (10 questions)	Yes	No
	N (%)	N (%)
Sex without a condom	581 (98.3%)	10 (1.7%)
Cutlery, plates and cups	33 (5.6%)	557 (94.4%)
Use the same bathroom	54 (9.2%)	533 (90.8%)
Mouth kiss	158 (27.1%)	426 (72.9%)
Pregnancy or childbirth	568 (96.4%)	21(3.6%)
Breastfeeding	351 (61.1%)	223 (38.9%)
Insect bites	64(11.5%)	492(88.5%)
Contaminated blood	577 (98.8%)	07 (1.2%)
Syringes and / or needles	574 (97.6%)	14(2.4%)
Playing with children who have the virus	13(2.2%)	576 (97.8%)

Statements	GROUP A*	GROUP B**
	(24 students)	(567 students)	p-value
	N (%)	N (%)
They agreed that they would be bothered if a child living with AIDS studied at their children’s school.	06 (25%)	30 (5.4%)	0.002
They agreed that the employer should fire a person living with AIDS to protect himself and his co-workers	02 (8.7%)	05 (0.9%)	0.027
They agreed that they would be bothered if a neighboring house became a home for people living with AIDS	03 (13%)	38 (6.8%)	0.21

Number of correct answers	Students that answered correctly this number of questions
Number of correct answers	N (%)
None or 1	0 (0%)
2	0 (0%)
GROUP A*
3	01 (0.2%)
4	02 (0.3%)
5	10 (1.7%)
6	11 (1.9%)
GROUP B**
7	33 (5.6%)
8	121 (20.5%)
9	216 (36.5%)
10	197 (33.3%)

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E-mail: cienciasaudecoletiva@fiocruz.br

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[1] Collaborations

VP Santos worked on the study’s concept and design, data analysis and interpretation, text writing and critical review and approved the final version; MTAD Coelho contributed to the study’s concept, data interpretation, text critical review and approved the final version. EL Macário and TCS Oliveira contributed to data analysis and interpretation, text writing, bibliographic review and approved the final version.