title: HIV knowledge among a sample of Puerto Rican and Mexican men and women.
abstract: This study assessed levels of HIV knowledge and identified factors associated with HIV knowledge among a sample of heterosexual Puerto Rican and Mexican men and women, ages 18 to 45. The sample consisted of 144 men and women living in San Diego County, California, who self-identified as being of Mexican ethnicity and 209 men and women living in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, who self-identified as Puerto Rican. Interviews were conducted by trained, bilingual interviewers. Data were collected on demographic variables, attitudes towards decision-making in relationships, and HIV knowledge and risk behaviors. Puerto Rican individuals were significantly more likely than Mexican individuals to respond correctly to almost one-half of the 12 HIV knowledge items. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that higher levels of education, greater U.S. acculturation, legal status and birth in the United States, a self-focused locus of control in relationships, and being male were predictors of higher knowledge.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002140:California; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000193:education*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011647:Puerto Rico / Q000208:ethnology; D012309:Risk-Taking