Meundi Anand D, Amma Ambikadevi, Rao Aruna, Shetty Sangeetha, Shetty Avinash K
Department of Community Medicine, K. S. Hegde Medical Academy, Mangalore, India.
J Int Assoc Physicians AIDS Care (Chic). 2008 Jan-Feb;7(1):27-34. doi: 10.1177/1545109707302088. Epub 2007 Jun 6.
To assess HIV/AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices among the general population in South India.
The 1669 participants (834 males, 835 females) aged 19-49 years were surveyed using a stratified 2-stage random sampling design with probability proportional to size.
Although 54% of participants knew that AIDS is caused by "HIV" virus and 44% could correctly identify all modes of transmission, 52% believed in one or more myths, 41% did not know that condoms can prevent HIV, and 18% had not heard of a condom. Higher HIV knowledge scores were significantly associated with male gender, higher education, currently married, higher frequency of reading newspapers, listening to radio or watching television, and willingness to get tested for HIV (P < .01). Thirty-four percent felt that HIV-infected individuals should be kept away from others, and 40% were not willing to accept a family member with HIV. There was a significant and positive correlation between knowledge and attitude scores (P < .01). Among respondents who ever had sexual intercourse, significantly more males declared having more than one sexual partner compared to females (P < .01). Only 16% of respondents reported that they consistently used condoms. Sixty-two percent of the respondents were willing to undergo an HIV test if provided free of cost. This willingness to opt for HIV testing increased significantly with better knowledge score, better attitude score, and higher education status (P < .01).
HIV/AIDS prevention campaigns in India should focus on public education, stigma reduction, promotion of condom use, and risk-reduction behaviors in urban and rural communities targeted toward young adults.
评估印度南部普通人群中与艾滋病毒/艾滋病相关的知识、态度和行为。
采用分层两阶段随机抽样设计，按规模比例概率抽样，对1669名年龄在19至49岁之间的参与者（834名男性，835名女性）进行了调查。
尽管54%的参与者知道艾滋病是由“艾滋病毒”引起的，44%能够正确识别所有传播途径，但52%的人相信一个或多个错误观念，41%的人不知道避孕套可以预防艾滋病毒，18%的人从未听说过避孕套。较高的艾滋病毒知识得分与男性性别、较高教育程度、已婚、较高的阅读报纸、听广播或看电视频率以及愿意接受艾滋病毒检测显著相关（P < 0.01）。34%的人认为艾滋病毒感染者应与他人隔离，40%的人不愿意接纳感染艾滋病毒的家庭成员。知识得分与态度得分之间存在显著正相关（P < 0.01）。在有过性行为的受访者中，宣称有多个性伴侣的男性明显多于女性（P < 0.01）。只有16%的受访者报告他们始终使用避孕套。62%的受访者表示如果免费提供艾滋病毒检测，他们愿意接受检测。随着知识得分、态度得分和教育程度的提高，选择进行艾滋病毒检测的意愿显著增加（P < 0.01）。
印度的艾滋病毒/艾滋病预防运动应侧重于针对城市和农村社区的年轻人开展公众教育、减少污名化、推广避孕套使用以及降低风险行为。
