Chilean university students: knowledge and concern about HIV/AIDS.
According to a 2004 report by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, Chile has an incipient HIV/AIDS epidemic. Regardless of the classification, every year the cumulative incidence of HIV/AIDS increases. Young Chileans have been the most affected group; still, their knowledge, attitudes, and concerns about HIV/AIDS are not known. This study describes Chilean university students' HIV/AIDS-related knowledge, their worry about getting the virus, and the correlation between both variables. A convenience sample of 45 university students responded to an anonymous self-administered questionnaire after orally consenting to participate in this study. Overall, students had good levels of HIV/AIDS-related knowledge, with 77% responding correctly to at least 85% of the questions. Despite this knowledge, almost 56% of students stated that they were not worried about getting HIV/AIDS. The situation was corroborated by a nonsignificant statistical correlation between both variables (p > .05). These results are congruent with literature from other countries and strengthen the need for further research to clarify why university students, the majority of whom are well-educated and engage in behaviors that place them at risk for contracting the virus, do not worry about HIV.
Ferrer
Lilian
L
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Cianelli
Rosina
R
Guzman
Edwin
E
Cabieses
Báltica
B
Irarrázabal
Lisette
L
Bernales
Margarita
M
Araya
Alejandra
A
D000328:Adult; D002677:Chile; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D019359:Knowledge; D008297:Male; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities