The Study Of Knowledge And Attitude Towards HIV/AIDS Among Middle-school Female Students And Teachers In Poor Area Of Anhui Province

Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) knowledge, attitudes and influence factors of the middle-school female students and teachers in one of poor counties of Anhui province. Another aim was to analyze the factors influencing the knowing rate of the AIDS, in order to provide science evidence to health education about AIDS-related knowledge in poor areas.Methods 1492 female students and 250 teachers from 4 primary schools and 2 senior high schools in a poor county of Anhui province through a cluster-sampling were assessed by anonymous questionnaires in November 2006.Results (1)The girls in poor areas had known little of the basic knowledge about HIV/AIDS. About AIDS awareness in the HIV non-infected way, junior middle school and senior high school students all got low rates of correct. The girls in junior middle schools and senior high schools had a little higher rate of correct about the understanding of the infective way of HIV than the understanding of non-infected way. Girls in senior high school had better awareness than the girls in junior middle school(P<0.05). The level of AIDS-related knowledge of girls in this area was intermediate. And some items were answered badly. The senior high school girls had better awareness than junior middle school girls(P<0.05).Many girls lacking of the knowledge about HIV/AIDS has not yet formed their own opinions. Analysis about single factors showed that the influence factors of scores of awareness were grades, the relationship with classmates, achievements, teacher's support, father working outside home, the culture of father, the culture of mother, and support from father, support from mother and the relationship between the parents. Multiple linear Logistic regression analysis showed that factors influencing scores of awareness were grades, the relationship with classmates, and achievements. The opportunity to score of AIDS knowledge of high school girls was higher than junior school girls (OR: 2.95, P<0.0001) ; The girls with poorer relationship with classmates got the lower opportunity score of AIDS knowledge (OR: 0.79, P=0.0037); the girls with poorer academic performance got the lower opportunity score of AIDS knowledge (OR: 0.59, P <0.0001).Many schools have not yet launched the HIV/AIDS Health Education. 86.93% of the girls believe that it is necessary to carry out AIDS health education in schools. Most of them obtain HIV/AIDS knowledge by the way of television (57.10%) and books and newspapers (16.76%). They are willing to allow doctors (65.95%) and teachers (17.09%) to share their knowledge on HIV/AIDS. The general trend is that the girls hope to receive HIV/AIDS Health Education in a lower grade. (2)The rate of correct answers about the general AIDS knowledge of the teachers in this county was more than 70%, but about the question fully answered to route of transmission was lower. The rate of correct answers about a strong professional knowledge of the teachers was low, just 20.3% of them answered the questions about AIDS diagnostic criteria correctly, for example. Only 50.2% of the teachers concerned about how to prevent AIDS, and 67.2% of them were worried or very worried that they would suffer from AIDS. 91. 3% of them said they were willing to go to regular hospitals to examine themselves,only a few people would go to some other irregular small clinics. 87.2% of the teachers obtained AIDS knowledge by watching television or reading newspapers and magazines.44.8% of schools launched health education, while 55.2% of them do not offer health education too.17.8% of the teachers did not agree on teaching how to use condoms in class. There were 90.0% of teachers think that the school AIDS curriculum on health education was very necessary.Conclusion The knowledge of HIV/AIDS awareness of girls and middle-school teachers in poor rural areas is low, and they are eager to obtain comprehensive health knowledge. Related government departments should strengthen the HIV/AIDS health education for them vigorously. We should promote learning and teaching with each other in schools as positions. The health education enable them establish a correct self-protection sense and an appropriate attitude to AIDS patients. In particular, to seize the period of the formation of girls'worldview and values, this is a good opportunity to protect their physical and mental health development.