[Changes of acquired immune deficiency syndrome related knowledge, attitudes, behaviors and their influencing factors among college students in Beijing].

OBJECTIVE

To compare acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) related knowledge, attitudes, behaviors and their influencing factors among college students in different years in Beijing, and to provide evidence for targeted health education among college students in future.

METHODS

College students were selected by the stratified cluster sampling method, and a questionnaire survey was conducted among college students in year 2006 and 2016 in Beijing. The sample sizes were 1 800 and 3 001 college students, respectively. The contents of the questionnaire included: socio-demographic characteristics, AIDS related knowledge, AIDS related attitude, sex intercourse and its related risk behaviors, condom use intension, and AIDS related health education.

RESULTS

Compared with the year 2006, the average AIDS knowledge scores of college students in year 2016 dropped from 12.78±1.95 to 11.90±2.56 (t=12.91, P<0.05), and the correct answer rates of questions in the knowledge part were decreased, too. Except for belief on condom use, the college students were more negative on AIDS related attitude and self-efficacy in year 2016 than in year 2006. Among the students who had sex experience, the rates of commercial sex [17.65% (33/187) vs. 6.53% (16/245), χ=13.003, P<0.001] and the rates of homo-sexual intercourse [15.43% (29/188) vs. 4.13% (10/242), χ=16.356, P<0.001] were higher in year 2016 than in year 2006. The main way for the students seeking pornographic information was changed from books to internet (41.15%) in 2016 compared with the year 2016. In 2016, the influencing factors of intention on condom use were male (OR=0.713), self-efficacy of condom purchase (OR=0.876), never received sex education before college (OR=0.752), self-efficacy of condom use (OR=1.135), belief of condom use (OR=1.775), and attitude towards AIDS patients (OR=1.136).

CONCLUSION

AIDS related knowledge, attitudes and behaviors among college students have been changed, AIDS related health education should be designed and improved based on new characteristics of college students. AIDS health education in colleges should pay more attention to sex attitude and sex responsibility and self-protection awareness among college students as well.