Risk perception and attitudes towards HIV in Serbian health care workers.
BACKGROUND
Health care workers (HCWs) are at risk of occupational exposure to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the perception of professional risk from, and the knowledge, attitudes and practice of HCWs to HIV and AIDS in Serbia.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study of 1,559 Serbian HCWs using self-administered anonymous questionnaires. Chi-square testing and multiple logistic regression analysis were applied.


RESULTS
Eighty-nine per cent of HCWs believed that they were at risk of acquiring HIV through occupational exposure. The perception of professional risk was higher among HCWs frequently exposed to patients' blood and body fluids (OR 7.9, 95% CI 4.4-14.5), who used additional personal protection if the HIV status of patient was known (OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.5-4.6), who had experienced sharp injuries within the last year (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.0-3.8) or who had been tested for HIV (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.2-3.5), and among HCWs who had treated HIV-positive patients (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.1-2.8). The majority of respondents had deficient knowledge about modes of HIV transmission. Attitudes towards HIV-positive patients were significantly different by occupation. Seventy per cent of HCWs used appropriate protection during their daily work with patients.


CONCLUSIONS
HCWs require specific educational programmes and training protocols to ensure that they are adequately protected when carrying out high quality care.
Jovic-Vranes
Aleksandra
A
Medical School of the University of Belgrade, Institute of Social Medicine, Dr Subotica 8, Belgrade 11000, Serbia. aljvranes@yahoo.co.uk
Jankovic
Slavenka
S
Vukovic
Dejana
D
Vranes
Boris
B
Miljus
Dragan
D
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000523:psychology / Q000635:transmission*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D017758:Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D018570:Risk Assessment; D015022:Yugoslavia