AIDS: knowledge and attitudes among different ethnic groups.
Int Conf AIDS 1989 Jun 4-9; 5:175 (abstract no. A.589) Eskander GS, Jahan M, Carter R; Meharry Medical College, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
AIDS is an international as well as a national public health problem. Since the identification of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in 1981, the number of cases has steadily increased throughout the world. The World Health Organization estimated that the world total of AIDS cases will reach up to three million over the next five years. Despite the considerable national effort to promote AIDS education among the public, there are still some misconceptions regarding some alleged modes of transmission of AIDS. To study the ethnic differences in knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about AIDS, we surveyed 161 U.S. residents from 31 different countries. An anonymous self-administered questionnaire was developed to compile this data. The results of this survey suggest that AIDS-related knowledge is generally incomplete and there are still misconceptions about AIDS regardless of ethnicity or national origin. However, Americans and Europeans were more aware of some of the modes of contracting AIDS than people from Asia, the Middle East, or Africa. We conclude that some ethnic and national groups are more likely to have misconceptions about AIDS than others. Therefore, additional public educational programs and activities with special outreach programs for ethnic groups in the United States must be accomplished through methods that are culturally sensitive if they are to be effective.
Keywords: AEGIS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Ethnic Groups, Attitude, Knowledge, Questionnaires, Data Collection, Asia, Africa, United States, Middle East, ICA5
