Report on Survey of Knowledge, Attitude, Beliefs and Practice on AIDS in Chongqing UniversitySubmitted by Su HongfangStudent ID: 20131802094Chemical Engineer DepartmentChongqing UniversityMay 25, 2014ContentAbstract ........................................................................ 错误！未定义书签。

1 Introduction (2)2 Literature Review (3)3 Methodology (5)4 Results & Discussion (6)4.1 Knowledge about AIDS (6)4.1.1 Basic knowledge about AIDS (6)4.1.2 Knowledge about transmission channels of AIDS (7)4.1.3 Knowledge about effective means of AIDS prevention (7)4.2 Attitudes towards AIDS patients (8)4.3 Beliefs and practice about AIDS (10)5 Conclusion & Suggestions (13)Reference (14)Appendix (15)AbstractThis study investigated postgraduates’ knowledge, attitude towards AIDS and AIDS patients, as well as beliefs and practice about AIDS. In order to offer the scientific basis for governments’ AIDS prevention policy, an d explore an appropriate programme of AIDS education, a structured questionnaire concerning knowledge, attitude, beliefs and practice towards AIDS and AIDS patient was conducted in Chongqing university. The results shows that postgraduates have moderate or good knowledgeable about AIDS, but their attitudes toward AIDS patients were not so much positive. There are still some worries about living or working with people with AIDS, and only half of the students were willing to be the volunteer of AIDS. Keywords: AIDS, postgraduates, knowledge, attitude1 IntroductionThe AIDS epidemic is a major international public health problem. In China , there are around 1.5 to 2 million people are HIV positive. Thus, AIDS prevention is imperative to conduct both in schools and societies. It’s reported that inadequate or incorrect information about HIV/AIDS causes fear, misunderstanding and misinformation. In a study conducted in Turkish, the nursing students still have misconceptions and lack of knowledge of HIV/AIDS ( Akin et al. 2013). Maswanya et al (2006) also found that female college students in Japan have considerable misconceptions and prejudices about people living with AIDS. Similar foundings were reported.The aim of this project is to research po stgraduates’ knowledge, attitude towards AIDS and AIDS patients, as well as beliefs and practice about AIDS. Aiming to offer the scientific basis for governments’ AIDS prevention policy, and explore an appropriate programme of AIDS education.The introduction to the background and aim of this study are presented in this chapter. The rest of the dissertation is organized as follows.Chapter 2 presents a review of other researchers’ work which focus on people’s knowledge and attitude towards AIDS patients. People from different countries and various identities were researched.Chapter 3 describes the methodology used in the present study. It covers the subjects, procedure and methods of this research.Chapter 4 presents the result and discussion of this study. In this part, students’ knowledge about AIDS, attitudes towards AIDS patients and beliefs and practice about AIDS are included, and discussions were given.Finally, conclusions of the present study are given in Chapter 5 together with suggestions for schools and governments.2 Literature ReviewWith the general growth of HIV/AIDS work in many academic fields, it is much more curious about what people’s attitudes toward patients with AIDS are —especially those who accepted higher education. It’s k nown to all that HIV/AIDS is an epidemic and not discovered a cure yet. In the studies before, many researchers focused on analysing the pathological mechanism of HIV/AIDS or its effect on health. However, some research has focus on people’s knowledge of AIDS, such as if they kno w what is HIV or what’s its effect channel, other work has sought to explain the participants’ attitudes toward AIDS/HIV. At this facet, Laund and Toul(2009) conducted a random telephone survey toward HongKong residents, the results shows that the general public in Hong Kong has formed some negative perceptions of PLWHA. Discriminatory attitudes towards PLWHA are common and cover different aspects of their life. So they suggest that intervention programmes are warranted. Manchester (2009) also conducted a similar research, he carried out 6,777 people in ten cities and ten towns throughout China completing the interviews and found there was fairly widespread awareness of HIV/AIDS, however, there was still a lack of understanding of many aspects of HIV and AIDS in China. Such conditions resemble to female college students in Nagasaki, Japan. Swanny et al (2000) conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire survey for first year female student in Japan, it’s encouraging to see that female college students in Nagasaki, Japan have a high level of knowledge concerning AIDS/HIV , while considerable misconceptions and prejudice about patients with AIDS still exist.Except the public, professional persons were surveyed too. Olafimihan investigated Health Care Providers' knowledge of and attitude towards AIDS and AIDS patients.It’s indicated that Health Care Providers are significantly knowledgeable about AIDS, but do not have a positive attitude towards AIDS patients.what’s more , physicians and nurses/midwives have different perception ofAIDS.This kind of surveys were conducte d because improving professional persons’ knowledge and attitudes towards patients with HIV/AIDS is vital for providing quality care for such patients. Accordingly, Alkin et al (2013) selected 580 nursing students from three nursing schools in Turkish to assess nursing students’ knowledge of and attitudes towards people living with AIDS/HIV and to determine the variables associated with students’ knowledge and attitudes towards th em,in his article, Alkin notes that nursing students still have misconceptions and a lack of knowledge ofHIV/AIDS and that their attitudes need to be improved.Although those researches are specific enough,they are not related to the higher educated peopl e’s attitudes toward AIDS.In order to learn this,a study was conducted in Chongqing University,and the sample was consist of 125 post graduates who were required to complete questionnaires involve knowledge of AIDS and the transmission routes as well as the attitudes toward people living with AIDS/HIV.125 valid answers were obtained finally.3 MethodologySubjectsA cross-sectional questionnaire survey for postgraduates was conducted at Engineering School in Chongqing University. A total of 125 students whose age ranged from 23 to 25 years fully completed questionnaires, representing a valid response rate of 100%.ProcedureQuestionnaires were administered while the students were in the classroom after explaining the nature and anonymity of the survey, and assuring confidentiality of the personal responses. The survey was conducted in class. Participants were asked not to communicate with each other during administration of the questionnaire so as to encourage honest response.MethodsThe questionnaire had 46 questions, divided into three subscales. The first section had 27 questions testing students’ knowledge about AIDS, 7 questions about basic knowledge, 12 questions about transmission channels, and 8 items about effective preventions respectively. The second section had 10 questions relating to attitudes toward people with AIDS, including two hypothetical situations. The third section consisted of 9 questions about beliefs and practices on AIDS.4 Results & Discussion4.1 Knowledge about AIDS4.1.1 Basic knowledge about AIDSTableⅠshows students’ basic knowledge about AIDS. For all but the statement ‘AIDS can not be cured’ and the question ‘How long can the HIV survive after leaving human body?’(64%), most respondents (80%) gave correct answers to the others questions and all of the respondents heard about AIDS.This demonstrates that postgraduates generally had good basic knowledge of AIDS, because all of them are higher educated and easily access to the related information, however, they didn’t have a further understanding of it. For example, 27% of the students don’t know that how long the HIV can survive after leaving human body，and 20% of the students though there is an effective vaccine. So education such as a lecture about AIDS/HIV is still needed to improve their AIDS knowledge.TableⅠ. Students’ basic knowledge about AIDSQuestions Correct response Correct answer1. Have you heard about AIDS? Yes, I heard it 100%2. AIDS is Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome 96.3%3. HIV is Human Immunodeficiency Virus 95%4. How long can the HIV survive after leaving human body? HIV dies in a few minutes after leavinghuman body73%5. Which statement is correct? The people who are infected with AIDS virusare just AIDS virus carrier. After a longperiod of development, they become AIDSpatient.96%6.1 AIDS can not be cured. True 64% 6.2 Their is an effective vaccine False 80% 10. Could it be possible that a personwho looks healthy is a HIV infectedperson?Possible 95%4.1.2 Knowledge about transmission channels of AIDSAll students knew that blood transfusion with untested blood can transmit the virus. Again, almost all students answered correctly about ‘share an injection needle’, ‘shake, hug with an AIDS person’, ‘polite kiss on cheek’, ‘sexual intercourse without safety measure’. Misconceptions do exist, however. Nearly a half of respondents (49%) struggled with ‘mosquito bites’, and 19% of the students answered wrongly about ‘mending tooth with non-sterile equipment’ and ‘sneezing and coughing’. (TableⅡ).It seems that most students knew that blood, sex and mother-to-fetus are the three main transmission routes, but there were some misunderstandings which tend to produce prejudices against those having AIDS/HIV.TableⅡ.Students’ knowledge about transmission channels of AIDSChannel Correct response Correct answer 7.1 Share an injection needle when taking drug True 99%7.2 Blood transfusion with untested blood True 100%7.3 Treatment/mending tooth with non-sterileTrue 81% equipment7.4 Mother with AIDS gives birth to the baby True 96%7.5 Mosquito bites False 51%7.6 Shake, hug with an AIDS person False 99%7.7 Polite kiss on cheek with an AIDS person False 99%7.8 AIDS person’s sneezing and coughing False 81%7.9 Talk with an AIDS person in short distance False 94%7.10 Have dinner with an AIDS person False 90%7.11 Share the public facilities with an AIDS person False 85%7.12 Sexual intercourse without safety measure True 98%4.1.3 Knowledge about effective means of AIDS preventionApart from ‘Timely cure other sex diseases’ and ‘Not living in the same room with a HIV person’, the percentage of those who gave correct answers to the rest of 6 questions was high (92%). Students knew that the following measures were highlyeffective in preventing the transmission of AIDS: keep to a single sex partner (94%), use condom (95%), not share a needle with anyone (100%), be cautious about getting blood transfusion (100%), take HIV test before getting pregnancy (98%), no breast feeding (92%). While there were still some students (39%) didn’t know that timely cure other sex diseases is an effective precautionary measures, and nearly a quarter misunderstood that not living in the same room with a HIV person was a mean to prevent HIV infections (Table Ⅲ).Although there has no direct connections between other sex diseases and AIDS, it’s obvious that timely cure other sex diseases can lower the risk of AIDS transmission. Generally, living in the same room with a HIV person would not affected with AIDS, so it’s not an effective mean of prevention. It’s students’ fears which lead to their misconceptions, so that any closely contact would arose their worries about been affected with AIDS.Table Ⅲ.Students’ knowledge about effective means of AIDS preventionMeasures CorrectresponseCorrectanswer8.1 Keep to a single sex partner True 94%8.2 Use condom when having sex True 95%8.3 Not share a needle with anyone True 100%8.4 Be cautious about getting blood transfusion True 100%8.5 Timely cure other sex diseases True 61%8.6 Take HIV test before getting pregnancy True 98%8.7 No breast feeding to the baby when mother is infected with HIV True 92%8.8 Not living in the same room with a HIV person False 77%4.2 Attitudes towards AIDS patientsTable Ⅳshows students’ attitudes toward AIDS patients. 23% of students thought that AIDS patients should be separated from the health people, 20% agree that the privacy of the AIDS people should not be stressed, and nearly one third thought that the employment/promotion of HIV/AIDS people should be restricted,what’s more, 12% of the students though s chools have rights to refuse the attendance of the children whose close relatives are HIV/AIDS people. Things became worse when it comes to living or working with AIDS patients. Only 70% of the students indicated that they would treat their family members as before and keep living together with them (Fig.1), 33% chose to keep the disease as a secret for one of his employee and let him go (Fig.2).This indicate that students’ attitudes towards people living with AIDS is not so much positive, even if they had moderate or good knowledge of AIDS. It seems that students still had some worries about living or working with AIDS patients. It’s no doubt that this is caused by fears, while fears is just the superficial reasons. The underneath reasons is the impact of surroundings. Chinese are traditional and sex is quite a sensitive topic to talk about in the public, which hinder the universal education of AIDS. People who can not accept the systematic AIDS education is very likely to produce negative attitude toward AIDS patients, although postgraduates are higher educated, lacking of systematic and pragmatic AIDS education programme is still existence in colleges. So measures should be taken to change the bad situation.Table Ⅳ.Students’ attitudes toward AIDS patientsMeasures Agree Disagree I don’t know 9.1 Only the immoral people get AIDS 5% 95%9.2 Anyone can be infected with AIDS 91% 9%9.3 HIV/AIDS infected people should be separated23% 75% 2%from the health people9.4 For most people `s benefits, the privacy of the20% 77% 3%HIV/AIDS people should not be stressed9.5 The employment/promotion of HIV/AIDS people29% 71%should be restricted9.6 HIV/AIDS people`s right to use public2% 97% 1% transportation, public facilities should be deprived of2% 98%9.7 Hospitals have rights to reject treatment ofHIV/AIDS people9.8 Schools have rights to refuse the attendance of the12% 87% 1%children whose close relatives are HIV/AIDS peopleFig.1Students’ re sponse about family members with AIDSFig.2 Students’ attitudes towards with employee4.3 Beliefs and practice about AIDSAs is shown in Table Ⅴ, the main source of information about AIDS was the mass media ,with TV/internet ranking first, followed by magazines, mouth-to-mouth from friends/parents and newspapers. 73% of the respondents thought that it’s very essential for universities to educate students about AIDS. It appears that the massmedia have succeeded in raising AIDS awareness, and educational interventions is expected to promote practice toward people with AIDS.It’s surprised to see that the vast majority of the students were not worried (59%) (or not much worried 24% )about been infected HIV. More than 70% of the students would take measures to protect themselves, and students want to know the information about precautions most, followed by the transmission channels and symptom. Although the majority of students (93%) thought they have responsibility for the prevention of AIDS’ spread, onl y 58% of the respondents though that everyone should take the main responsibility for AIDS prevention and wanted to be a volunteer.It’s unexpected to see that so many respondents did not want to be a volunteer for AIDS prevention. As Chinese are quite conservative, it would be a long time to change their concepts of AIDS patients, even if those students with higher education. However, lacking of knowledge is also a reason leading to their prejudice, so schools and governments need to pay much attention on the education of AIDS.Table Ⅴ. Students’ b eliefs and Practices about AIDS17.The media you get most knowledge about AIDS (only one item)A. Newspaper (9%)B. TV (35%)C. Magazines (11%)D. Mouth-to-mouth from friends/parents (10%)E. Internet (35%)15. Do you think the university should educate students about AIDS?A. It is very essential (73%)B. It is necessary (27%)C. It is not necessary13. Are you worried that you will be infected HIV?A.Worried (17%)B. not much worried (59%)C. not worried at all (24%)14. To protect yourself, what are you going to do (more than one items are allowed)e condom when having sex 37 (79%)B. Keep to a single sex partner 44 (80%)C.Avoid sex outside of marriage 36 (74%)D. I don`t know (2%)16. The information you want to know most (only one item)A. How to prevent being infected (55%)B. the transmission channels (20%)C．Symptom of AIDS and treatment methods (25%)18. Do you think you have responsibility for the prevention of AIDS` spread?A.Yes 51 (93%)B. No 1 (2%)C. I don`t know 2 (5%)19. Who do you think should take the main responsibility for AIDS prevention ? (only one item)A. Central government (8%)B. Local government (4%)C. Health Administration Department (16%)D HIV/AIDS patients (14%) E. Everyone (58%)20. Do you want to be a volunteer for AIDS prevention?A. Yes (58%)B. No (42%)5 Conclusion & SuggestionsThe study revealed that postgraduates have moderate or good knowledgeable about AIDS, but their attitudes toward AIDS patients were not so much positive. There were still some worries about living or working with people with AIDS, and only half of the students were willing to be the volunteer of AIDS.Based on the fundings that emanated from this study, the following suggestions are made:For schools, there is the need to pay much attention to the education about AIDS, especially the knowledge about transmission and preventions, aiming to achieve behavioral and attitudinal changes towards people living with AIDS.For govern ments, it’s necessary to devote more resource to the problem of AIDS, such as enhancing the propaganda of AIDS knowledge and making some related policies.The most important is that individuals should treat AIDS patients without discriminate through learning informations and joining some meaningful activities about AIDS. Also, there would be a great change if everyone take the AIDS prevention as their own responsibilities.ReferenceAkin,S.et al,(2013) ‘Turkish nursing students’ knowledge of and a ttitudes towards patients with HIV/AIDS’. Journal of Clinical Nursing,22,3361-3371Lau JTF and Tsui HY (2006) ‘Discriminatory attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS and associated factors:a population based study in the Chinese general population’. Retrieved March 5,2009,from/qikan/pfbxyxbx/xcsgryxqk/20054812/20080831180105235214232 Manchester,T.(2014) ‘Attitudes towards HI V/AIDS in China: Research on public knowledge, attitudes and behaviour in cities and towns’.Maswanya,E. et al,(2000) ‘Knowledge and attitudes towards AIDS among female college students in Nagasaki, Japan’.Health Education Research,15,5-11.Olafimihan,E.O.‘Health Care Providers' Knowledge of, and Attitude towards AIDS and AIDS Patients’.AppendixKnowledge, Attitude, Beliefs and Practice on AIDSTotal NO. of valid answer: 125Postgraduates from Engineering Schools, Chongqing UniversityAge: 23-251.Have you ever heard about AIDS?A Yes, I heard it (100%) B. No, I never heard it. C. I don’t know2. AIDS isA. a sex disease (2%)B. a blood disease (1.7%)C. Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (96.3%)D. homosexual disease3. HIV isA. a shorten name for an organization of preventing AIDS (1.4%)B. an AIDS vaccine (疫苗）(1.6%)C. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (95%)D. an effective medicine for AIDS treatment (2%)4. How long can the HIV survive after leaving human body?A. HIV will not die forever (10.5%)B. HIV dies after leaving human body immediately (16.5%)C. HIV dies in a few minutes or tens minutes after leaving human body. (73%)5. Which statement is correct?A. The people who are infected AIDS virus are AIDS patient (4%)B. The people who are infected with AIDS virus are just AIDS virus carrier.After a longperiod of development, they become AIDS patient (96%)10. Could it be possible that a person who looks healthy is a HIV infected person?A. Possible (95%)B. Impossible (3%)C. I don’t know (2%)11. If one of your family members is unfortunately infected with HIV, you will (choose only one item)A. treat him/her as before and keep living together with him/her (70%)B. find another place for him/her to live alone (8%)C. not know what to do (22%)12. If you were a leader and found that one of your employee was infected HIV/AIDS, you wouldA. keep the disease as a secret for him and let him go on working (33%)B. keep the disease as a secret for him but let him go home（fire him) (55%)C. publicize his disease and fire him (1%)D. not know what to do. (11%)13. Are you worried that you will be infected HIV?A. worried (17%)B. not much worried (59%)C. not worried at all (24%)14. To protect yourself, what are you going to do (more than one items are allowed)A. Use condom when having sex 37(79%)B. Keep to a single sex partner44(80%)C. Avoid sex outside of marriage 36(74%)D. I don’t know (2%)15. Do you think the university should educate students about AIDS?A. It is very essential (73%)B. it is necessary (27%)C. It is not necessary16. The information you want to know most (only one item)A. how to prevent being infected (55%)B. the transmission channels (20%)C. symptom of AIDS and treatment methods (25%)17. The media you get most knowledge about AIDS (only one item)A. Newspaper (9%)B. TV (35%)C. Magazines(11%)D. Mouth-to-mouth from friends/parents (10%)E. Internet (35%)18. Do you thin k you have responsibility for the prevention of AIDS’ spread?A. Yes, 51 (93%)B. No 1(2%)C. I don’t know 1(5%)19. Who do you think should take the main responsibility for AIDS prevention?( only one item)A. Central government (8%)B. Local government (4%)C. Health Administration Department (16%)D. HIV/AIDS patients (14%)E. Everyone (58%)20. Do you want to be a volunteer for AIDS prevention？A. Yes (58%)B. No (42%)。