Australian and South African undergraduates' HIV-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors

To understand safe sex behavior in two countries which have been differentially affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the present study compared the AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of 920 heterosexual undergraduate students in Australia and 228 heterosexual undergraduate students in South Africa. South African students were found to have significantly less knowledge about HIV/AIDS, and significantly less favorable attitudes toward safe sex behavior than their Australian counterparts. They were also more likely to report that they have avoided various groups of people for fear of contracting AIDS. Experience from Australia over the period 1986-1995 suggests that significant improvements in the AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of South African undergraduates are achievable.     

Compliance with infection-control procedures and attitudes of oral health care providers toward patients with HIV/AIDS: a synthesis of the literature

Many publications on the knowledge, practice, and attitudes of oral health care providers can be found in the literature. This paper is a synthesis of literature on their compliance with infection-control procedures and their attitudes toward patients with HIV/AIDS. The literature indicates increased compliance with infection-control procedures. While some oral health care providers report negative attitudes toward treating patients with HIV/AIDS, their fear is decreasing, possibly due to their increased compliance with infection-control procedures and increased access to care for those with HIV/AIDS.     

Attitudes, beliefs, and practices of nursing students concerning HIV/AIDS: implications for prevention in women

Nursing students are a group of predominantly young women who may be sexually active but who are well educated and presumably health conscious. It might be expected, therefore, that they are not a population at risk for sexually acquired HIV infection. Recent studies indicate that heterosexual women constitute the fastest growing population of persons with AIDS in the United States and Canada (Health and Welfare Canada, 1993b; Wofsky, 1992) and that women and adolescents will constitute the next surge of the AIDS epidemic (Novello, 1993). First-year nursing students in a major Canadian city were surveyed regarding HIV-related knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. The women were highly knowledgeable about HIV transmission but 15% to 25% reported high risk sexual behavior. The results reinforce that knowledge is not enough to prevent HIV infection among young women and that interventions must be based on an understanding of the social context of women's lives.     

Correlation between history of contact with people living with HIV/AIDS (PWAs) and tolerant attitudes toward HIV/AIDS and PWAs in rural Thailand

This study examines the hypothesis that people who have more contact with PWAs (people living with AIDS) are more tolerant than those who have no contact with them. Four provinces with different incidence of AIDS in 4 different regions of Thailand were selected. Structured questionnaire interviews were conducted with village people, asking about their history of contact with PWAs, and knowledge and attitudes toward HIV/AIDS and PWAs (n = 434). An 'Attitude Score', which indicates an accepting attitude (or tolerance) toward HIV/AIDS and PWAs, was developed using the results of the questionnaire on attitudes. Six factors: sex, education, age, province, knowledge, and history of contact with PWAs were positively correlated with the Attitude Score. After a multiple regression analysis, contact with PWAs was significantly associated with Attitude Score. This study is one of the first analytical studies conducted in a non-Western country to show that people's tolerant attitudes towards HIV/AIDS and PWAs are positively related to their history of contact with HIV/AIDS and PWAs. This findings should have important implications for future educational programmes and preventative intervention.     

Attitudes of medical students to HIV and AIDS

OBJECTIVE--To assess the knowledge and attitudes of medical students to HIV/AIDS and whether attitudes correlate with knowledge and clinical experience. To determine if students felt adequately prepared to deal with medical and psychological aspects of HIV/AIDS. SUBJECTS AND METHODS--The subjects consisted of 190 London and 99 Cambridge medical students at the end of their genitourinary medicine attachment, plus 230 Cambridge medical students at the end of their second pre-clinical year. Between March 1991 and February 1992 all were asked to complete an anonymous questionnaire, covering factual knowledge and attitudes towards HIV/AIDS. MAIN RESULTS--Cambridge genitourinary medicine students, despite spending less time studying HIV infection than their London counterparts gave more correct answers to the factual questions, although this difference did not reach significance (52.4% vs. 47.5%, p = 0.14). One third of students believed that many health care workers were at high risk of acquiring HIV at work and one fifth thought doctors should have the right to refuse to treat people with HIV. Fourteen percent of Cambridge genitourinary medicine students indicated that most British people with HIV have only themselves to blame, by comparison with 4% of London students (p = 0.003). Thirty-nine per cent of Cambridge genitourinary medicine students expressed reluctance to care for someone with AIDS by comparison with 10% of London students (p = 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS--It is important that medical educators convey accurate information about HIV, including the actual risks posed by occupational exposure and try to ensure that medical students spend sufficient time seeing patients with HIV/AIDS during their training.     

Domestic violence: examining nurses' and doctors' management, attitudes and knowledge in an accident and emergency setting

Despite the increasing awareness of the important role that Accident and Emergency (A&E) personnel have in the diagnosis and management of domestic violence victims, there is limited knowledge about the nurses' or doctors' knowledge of or attitudes to domestic violence in Australian health care settings. In addition nursing and medical staff still receive very little training in working with domestic violence victims. This study was conducted to examine the existing knowledge, attitudes to and management strategies for domestic violence victims among 111 nurses and doctors in two rural and two country hospitals. The findings indicate that A&E staff recognise the importance of their role in the identification and management of domestic violence victims. Despite this they do not have all the skills necessary to deal effectively with the problem or to be able to access local resources for assistance. Education programs should focus on direct questioning techniques, and recognition of risk factors and protocols to provide guidelines for police involvement.     

HIV/AIDS related knowledge, attitudes, and preventive behavior of pregnant Korean women

OBJECTIVE: To assess HIV-AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes, and preventive behavior of pregnant Korean women before designing patient and public education programs. DESIGN: Pre-experimental cross-sectional survey. POPULATION, SAMPLE, SETTING, YEARS: Convenience sample of 409 women at six prenatal clinics in Seoul, Korea, in 1993. OUTCOME MEASURES: HIV-AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes, and preventive behavior. METHODS: Self-administered questionnaires. FINDINGS: The women described high levels of knowledge about HIV and AIDS risk factors but less knowledge about transmission of the virus, as well as attitudes of rejection toward unrelated people with HIV/AIDS; 16% provided condoms for their husband's use in extramarital sex, the primary risk behavior. CONCLUSIONS: Korean women are at risk for heterosexual transmission of HIV despite knowledge of risk factors. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Korean education programs for women should focus on modes of heterosexual transmission, care of individuals with HIV or AIDS, self-assessment of HIV-AIDS risk, and self protection.     

HIV/AIDS risk in heterosexual college students. A review of a decade of literature

Empirical studies dealing with the psychosocial correlates of HIV risk among heterosexual college students are reviewed, including findings related to such theoretical variables as HIV/AIDS-related knowledge, personal and partner's attitudes toward condom use, perceived susceptibility, communication with sex partners, and sexual self-efficacy. Although college students are highly knowledgeable about basic HIV/AIDS facts, they retain some misperceptions about disease transmission. They hold neutral-to-negative hedonistic and practical attitudes about using condoms: those who have engaged in risky behavior accurately perceive their greater susceptibility to infection and experience anxiety regarding transmission of HIV infection. Heterosexual college students communicate infrequently with their partners about safer sex, but they often agree to a partner's suggestion that they use condoms. Higher levels of sexual self-efficacy among college students have been associated with a lower risk for HIV transmission. Limitations and clinical implications of the findings and recommendations for future interventions are discussed.     

Attitudes of psychologists in training toward persons with AIDS.

Clinical and counseling graduate students (N?=?266) from 8 different universities read a vignette that described a hypothetical patient as having either AIDS or leukemia. These psychologists in training then completed a scale that measured attitudes toward the hypothetical patient. Results indicated that psychologists in training had some attitudes toward AIDS patients that were less positive than their attitudes toward identically described leukemia patients. However, psychologists in training were more willing to interact with AIDS patients and to accept them as psychotherapy clients than were psychologists studied in earlier research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

AIDS: knowledge and attitudes of university students in Nagpur

The present cross section-I study was conducted on university students to assess the basic level of knowledge regarding AIDS. Mean score obtained by the Science students related to various aspects of AIDS was significantly higher as compared to Arts and Commerce students 94.4% Science students and 86.7%. Arts and Commerce students expressed their desire to learn more about AIDS. This study has identified considerable extent of knowledge and positive attitudes amongst Science students, but Arts and Commerce students had indequate and poor knowledge. The results of this study show that there is a need of effective health education campaign for this high risk group of individuals which will help them to develop the skills to act on their knowledge and communicate it to others.     

Clinical judgment of major depression in AIDS patients: The effects of clinician complexity and stereotyping.

This clinical judgment study found an overshadowing bias that existed in the treatment of major depression in AIDS patients. Two clinician individual differences—cognitive complexity about AIDS issues and attitudes toward AIDS victims—were investigated for possible moderating effects of the treatment overshadowing bias. Cognitive complexity about AIDS issues had a significant moderating effect, as more complex clinical and counseling psychologists were more likely to recommend antidepressant medication. Attitudes toward AIDS victims, measured by the Attitudes Towards AIDS Victims scale (Larsen, Serra, & Long, 1990), did not moderate clinician's treatment judgments. Results from a second set of exploratory analyses suggest that the diagnostic overshadowing occurred, but as a function of the presence of a terminal illness (AIDS or cancer) and not as a bias unique to AIDS issues. Implications for research and practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Curriculum effect on nursing students' attitudes and knowledge towards organ donation and transplantation

OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of a nursing school's curriculum on student nurses' attitudes towards organ donation and whether specific educational directives could improve these attitudes. DESIGN: Quasi-experimental. SAMPLE/SETTING: First-, third-, and fourth-year nursing students at a Canadian University School of Nursing. METHODS: A questionnaire was developed to measure student's attitudes towards organ donation and transplantation. The questionnaire was administered to first- and fourth-year students to determine whether 4 years of nursing education changed the attitudes of the students. Third-year students responded to the questionnaire before and after attending a lecture or lecture and small group sessions on organ donation to determine whether instruction could improve attitudes and knowledge. RESULTS: No difference in attitudes were found between first- and fourth-year nursing students. The introduction of specific education strategies improved the attitudes and knowledge base of third year students. Discussion sessions in addition to lecture were the preferred strategy. CONCLUSIONS: The present curriculum does not significantly impact on nursing students. Given the importance of organ transplantation, nursing curricula should incorporate effective strategies to teach students the role of the nurse in organ donation.     

AIDS education in Tanzania: promoting risk reduction among primary school children

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to test the effects of an education program in Tanzania designed to reduce children's risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and to improve their tolerance of and care for people with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). METHODS: A randomized controlled community trial including baseline and 12-month follow-up surveys was employed. Public primary schools in the Arusha and Kilimanjaro regions of Tanzania were stratified according to location and randomly assigned to intervention (n = 6) or comparison (n = 12) conditions. Of the 1063 sixth-grade students (average age: 13.6 years) who participated at baseline, 814 participated in the follow-up survey. RESULTS: At follow-up, statistically significant effects favoring the intervention group were observed for exposure to AIDS information and communication, AIDS knowledge, attitudes toward people with AIDS, and subjective norms and behavioral intentions toward having sexual intercourse. A consistent positive but nonsignificant trend was seen for attitudes toward having sexual intercourse and for initiation of sexual intercourse during the previous year (7% vs 17%). CONCLUSIONS: It is feasible and effective to train local teachers and health workers to provide HIV/AIDS education to Tanzanian primary school children.     

Rural school nurses' attitudes about AIDS and homosexuality

The AIDS epidemic has spread to rural areas of the United States. Conservative rural communities are facing the challenge of having children with HIV entering school. School nurses, as the only health care providers in the schools, are in a strong position to facilitate the education of children with HIV and to provide AIDS education to students, faculty, and parents. School nurses' knowledge and attitudes about AIDS and people with AIDS influence their effectiveness in prevention activities and care of HIV-infected children. This study examined the relationship between specific demographic, practice, and cultural variables and rural school nurses' attitudes about AIDS and homosexuality. Sixty-nine school nurses responded to a mailed questionnaire as part of a larger study of rural nurses. Results indicate attitudes about homosexuality were related to nurses' homosexual knowledge and religious beliefs while attitudes about AIDS were related to nurses' willingness to care for people with AIDS and feeling prepared to do so.     

A study on disclosure by HIV positives by use of simulation using case vignettes

AIDS patients/HIV positives have been increasing in Japan, but a large proportion of university students, who have high risk sexual behavior, are not aware of the danger of HIV infection. Because of little disclosure by AIDS patients/HIV positives in Japan, the students have a poor chance of knowing of their risk in sexual behavior situations. Discrimination or prejudice toward AIDS patients/HIV positives has suppressed disclosure. However, as the real risk changes of disclosure is unknown, a simulation study, using case vignettes, was carried out to measure risks. A total of 1,128 university students (487 male and 641 female) were asked to read one of six vignettes describing HIV positives, that consisted of three infection routes (one by blood preparation and two by sexual intercourse) with disclosure or without disclosure. After reading a vignette, they answered questions about the images of HIV positives and their attitudes to him or her. As a result of reading these vignettes, friendly images were enhanced and the disagreeable images were decreased, but students' attitudes were unchanged. Significant differences were recognized in attitudes concerning responsibility for the infection and sympathy toward HIV positives, depending on the infection routes (blood preparation or sexual intercourse). Female students had a tendency to be more favorable to HIV positives than the male students. This simulation study showed the difficulty of changing students' attitudes regardless of the image of HIV positives, and demonstrated the need for effective action toward reducing discrimination or prejudice.     

Meeting a person with AIDS in the classroom: an evaluation

Meeting a person with AIDS in the classroom was evaluated to determine if it had an impact on students' perceived susceptibility to HIV infection and attitudes toward persons with AIDS. The meeting was incorporated into the Grade 9 AIDS education program of a school district in Nova Scotia. Four schools participated in this study. Two schools were randomly assigned to the treatment group, which met the person with AIDS, and the remaining two schools formed the comparison group. Measures of the two attitudinal variables were collected using a self-report questionnaire that was administered both prior to and two weeks after the educational intervention. Meeting a person with AIDS in the classroom had no measurable impact on students perceived susceptibility to HIV infection nor on their attitudes toward persons with AIDS. Suggestions for using the educational intervention more effectively and for further research are made.     

HIV prevention interventions: The effects of role-play and behavioural commitment on knowledge and attitudes.

Investigated the effects of active versus passive participation, as well as behavioral commitment, on the knowledge and attitudes of adolescents in an HIV-prevention intervention. Following completion of an HIV attitudes and knowledge test, a group of 144 9th grade students were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatment conditions that included either role-play, video, lecture, or no treatment. Half the participants in each condition were required to commit to attend to HIV-prevention information and educate another student about such issues. A post-test conducted at 4-wk follow-up indicated that students in the active participation condition (i.e., role-play) demonstrated increased knowledge about AIDS and HIV. Behavioral commitment to further HIV-prevention information did not moderate (i.e., enhance) the effects of active participation; however, commitment did lead to more positive attitudes toward HIV-prevention. The findings suggest that a role-play intervention may be a viable alternative to traditional lecture and video methods for enhancing knowledge towards HIV-prevention in adolescents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Parent–adolescent dialogues about AIDS.

Little is known about the socialization of compassion, intimacy, sexuality, and risk management within family contexts. In this study, the authors observed parents and young adolescents (N?=?140 dyads) in Grades 6–8 during structured communication tasks focused on AIDS. Communication styles were compared across gender pairings, and their relations with AIDS-related knowledge, worry, and stigmatizing attitudes were examined. Parents were more mutual with daughters and more directive toward sons. Girls were more mutual and expressive than boys, whereas boys were more withdrawn. Father–son dyads were particularly distinctive. Student stigmatizing attitudes were associated with low levels of both positive engagement in students and support from parents during the interaction. Discussion focused on family relations during early adolescence and implications for family involvement in AIDS prevention efforts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Moral judgment, personality, and attitudes toward authority.

Two studies investigating attitudes toward authority using the Survey of Ethical Attitudes (SEA) clarify the dynamics of conformity. The SEA and a semantic differential were administered to 369 college students, who rated the concepts mother, father, police, and government on 10 evaluative adjective pairs. Ss endorsing the "ethics of social responsibility" held more favorable attitudes toward authority than did those endorsing the "ethics of personal conscience." This result was replicated in the 2nd study. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Improving undergraduate nursing research education: the effectiveness of collecting and analyzing oral histories

Nine oral histories of retired RNs (age range from 60 to 77) were collected by trained senior nursing students in their nursing research class. Attitudes toward nursing research of the 18 undergraduate baccalaureate nursing students participating in the collection and analysis of oral histories were compared with 20 students who did not participate. Both groups of students completed a pretest and posttest Attitudes Toward Nursing Research Questionnaire. The participating students had significantly positive changes in their attitudes toward nursing research. The nonparticipating group did not. While reminiscing about their careers, the retired RNs related historical events that influenced their nursing practice. Three themes emerged: World War II, technology, and intensive care units. Through an open-ended, written questionnaire following the interview, the nurses expressed positive benefits of participation. The collection and analysis of oral histories was an effective experiential learning strategy with positive outcomes for the students and the retired nurses who were interviewed.