Awareness, Knowledge, Attitude, and Source of Information on HIV Infection Among College Students.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the college students' awareness, knowledge, attitude, and source of information on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

METHODS

This is a multicenter study with 490 college students participated in the questionnaire survey. Among them, 261 are medical students and 229 are non-medical students. A questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic data and investigate the awareness of and knowledge about HIV infection, the practice of preventive measures, and sources of HIV-related information.

RESULTS

There is no significantly different on self-report awareness of HIV infection between medical and non-medical students (P = 0.919). However, a higher proportion of non-medical students misunderstand the HIV transmission routes. For the sources of knowledge, non-medical students were more likely to obtain from the Internet (P=0.029), TV medias (P=0.027) and others (P=0.032). The proportion of medical students acquiring HIV-related knowledge from doctors was significantly higher (P<0.001). A higher percentage of non-medical students indicated a lack of HIV knowledge and expressed a need for more HIV related education (P=0.002). Non-medical students expressed a preference for HIV education that covers a broader spectrum of HIV-related knowledge (P=0.046), indicating a desire for more comprehensive understanding beyond basic HIV-related awareness. In contrast, medical students indicated a preference for more frequent sessions with longer durations (P=0.038).

CONCLUSION

Medical students were significantly more aware of HIV related knowledge than the non-medical students. Our research can provide relevant data support for further improving the methods and content of health education for young people.