Skip navigation
  • Home
  • Browse
    • Communities
      & Collections
    • Browse Items by:
    • Publication Date
    • Author
    • Title
    • Subject
    • Department
  • Sign on to:
    • My MacSphere
    • Receive email
      updates
    • Edit Profile


McMaster University Home Page
  1. MacSphere
  2. Open Access Dissertations and Theses Community
  3. Open Access Dissertations and Theses
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/11375/11378
Title: The knowledge of and attitudes towards HIV/AIDS among post-secondary students in a southern Ethiopian city
Authors: Paul, Marianne M.
Advisor: Majumdar, Basanti
Sheryl Boblin, Noori Akhtar-Danesh, Diana Sherifali
Sheryl Boblin, Noori Akhtar-Danesh, Diana Sherifali
Department: Nursing
Keywords: HIV/AIDS;Africa;Students;Gender;Knowledge;Attitudes;International Public Health;International Public Health
Publication Date: Oct-2011
Abstract: <p><strong>Introduction:</strong> The HIV/AIDS epidemic continues to claim millions of lives worldwide. Africa alone represents the majority of HIV/AIDS cases, where the young aged 16-30, are at greatest risk. In Ethiopia, the research suggests that knowledge of HIV transmission and positive attitudes among post-secondary students are decreasing. The purpose of this research is to explore the knowledge and attitudes of HIV/AIDS among post-secondary students in a southern Ethiopian city.</p> <p><strong>Methods:</strong> A cross-sectional study was conducted among 227 college and university students. The AIDS Attitude Scale and the HIV Knowledge Questionnaire were used to measure participants’ knowledge and attitudes on HIV/AIDS. Descriptive statistics, t-test, correlation and regression analysis were used for analysis.</p> <p><strong>Results:</strong> The results from the HIV Knowledge Questionnaire revealed lower knowledge on the various sexual modes of HIV transmission. The t-test demonstrated no difference between male and female HIV knowledge scores (t=0.6, df =225, p=0.4). The correlation analysis indicated a significant negative relationship between HIV knowledge scores and avoidant AIDS attitude scores (r=-0.2, p<0.01). The linear regression demonstrated for every one unit increase of AAS avoidant scores, HIV knowledge scores decreased 0.7 units (p<0.01); suggesting that students who scored higher in negative attitudes, achieved lower scores on HIV knowledge levels.</p> <p><strong>Conclusion:</strong> The study findings demonstrate the call to address this knowledge gap among a known population vulnerable to risky sexual behavior. Future research is needed such that HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns can be specifically tailored to the student population within the Ethiopian context.<strong> </strong></p> <p><strong> </strong></p>
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/11375/11378
Identifier: opendissertations/6349
7146
2224026
Appears in Collections:Open Access Dissertations and Theses

Files in This Item:
File SizeFormat 
fulltext.pdf
Open Access
2.04 MBAdobe PDFView/Open
Show full item record Statistics


Items in MacSphere are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.

Sherman Centre for Digital Scholarship     McMaster University Libraries
©2022 McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L8 | 905-525-9140 | Contact Us | Terms of Use & Privacy Policy | Feedback

Report Accessibility Issue