title: Low versus high prevalence of AIDS: effect on nursing students' attitudes and knowledge.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to compare AIDS knowledge and attitudes of baccalaureate nursing students living in a state with a high prevalence of AIDS and those who resided in a state with a low prevalence of AIDS. Students from the high-prevalence state had significantly higher AIDS knowledge scores than did students from the low-prevalence state. However, overall, respondents from the low-prevalence state viewed the person living with AIDS with more accepting attitudes than did the respondents from the high-prevalence state. Students in the high-prevalence state interacted with persons living with AIDS (PLWA) primarily through professional contact. In contrast, students in the low-prevalence state identified both personal and professional contact with PLWA as their most significant interactions. Personal experience of nursing students appears to be a key to decreasing stigmatization of PLWA.
authors.affiliation: Kramer School of Nursing, Oklahoma City University, OK 73106, USA.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: West
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Davis-Lagrow
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Leasure
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Allen
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology