Behavioral surveillance of knowledge about HIV/AIDS transmission and perceived need for additional knowledge in a national sample of young israeli men and women between 1993 and 2005.
The study examines trends in knowledge about HIV/AIDS prevention, perceived need for more information, and knowledge sources among 20,619 Israeli army releasees between 1993 and 2005. HIV/AIDS knowledge was strongly associated with education, lower religiosity and receiving information via the media in both genders, changing non-linearly over time. Need for more information was associated with low knowledge level among men (OR= 2.14; CI: 1.84-2.49; P < .0001) and women (OR 1.48; CI: 1.21-1.81; P < .0001). The findings underscore the need to reach those groups whose knowledge remains low over time utilizing the media, the preferred knowledge source, recognizing that a segment believes they do not need more information despite having low HIV/AIDS knowledge.
Feldman
Becca S
BS
Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Hebrew University-Hadassah, P.O.B. 12272, 91120 Jerusalem, Israel. beccafel@gmail.com
Kark
Jeremy D
JD
Zarka
Salman
S
Ankol
Omer
O
Letyagina
Valeria
V
Shtarkshall
Ronny A
RA
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D057226:Information Seeking Behavior; D007557:Israel; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008402:Mass Media; D008889:Military Personnel; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult