title: HIV/AIDS knowledge and occupational risk in primary care health workers from Chile.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the relationship between knowledge level and occupational risk exposure to HIV/AIDS in primary care health workers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analytical cross-sectional study. 720 health workers from Santiago answered a survey about HIV/AIDS that included: knowledge level (appropriate, inappropriate), occupational risk (with or without risk), and control variables (age, gender, health center, education and marital status). Descriptive and association analysis were performed. Odds Ratio (OR) was estimated through simple and multiple regressions logistics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  58.7% of the participants reported HIV occupational risk. 63.8% of the participants from the exposed group reported an appropriate level of knowledge, versus 36.1% of the non-exposed group (Adjusted OR of 3.1, IC95%OR: 2.0-4.8, p<0.0001). Technicians and cleaning staff reported a lower proportion of appropriate level of knowledge compared to the employees with college education (p<0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The level of HIV/AID occupational risk is directly associated with the level of knowledge of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Enfermera-Matrona, Magíster en Epidemiología, Doctoranda en Ciencias de la Salud, profesora de la Escuela de Enfermería de la Universidad del Desarrollo-Clínica Alemana, Chile. bbcv500@york.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Baltica Cabieses
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Valdés
authors.affiliation: Enfermera-Matrona, Doctor of Philosophy. Directora de Investigación de la Escuela de Enfermería de la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile. lferrerl@uc.cl.
authors.forename: Lilian Ferrer
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Lagunas
authors.affiliation: Bioestadístico, Doctor en Estadística. Profesor de la Escuela de Medicina de la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile. lv@med.puc.cl.
authors.forename: Luis Antonio
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Villarroel
authors.affiliation: Enfermera matrona, Doctora en Enfermería. Profesora de la Escuela de Enfermería de la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile. rcianell@uc.cl.
authors.forename: Rosina Cianelli
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Acosta
authors.affiliation: Enfermera, Magíster en Enfermería. Profesora de la Escuela de Enfermería de la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile. mminer@uc.cl.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miner
authors.affiliation: Psicóloga, Magíster en Psicología de la Salud. Profesora de la Escuela de Enfermería de la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile. m.bernales@auckland.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Margarita Bernales
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Silva
keywords: HIV; health personnel; knowledge.; occupational exposure; universal precautions