The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #47656

Janine L. Barden-O'Fallon, MA¹, A.O Tsui, MA, PhD², Joseph deGraft-Johnson, MD, DrPH³, Thomas Bisika⁴, Sara L Sulzbach, MPH⁵, and Aimee Benson¹. (1) Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina, CB#8120, University Square, 123 West Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-8120, 919-966-2157, bardenof@email.unc.edu, (2) Population and Family Health Sciences, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, W4503, Baltimore, MD 21205-2179, (3) Save the Children Federation/USA, Save the Children, Mangochi Boma, Malawi, (4) Centre for Social Research, University of Malawi, Centre for Social Research, Zomba, Malawi, (5) Commercial Market Strategies, 1001 G. Street, N.W., 400W, Washington, DC 20001-4545

This study assesses individual background characteristics, awareness and knowledge of HIV/AIDS, and proximate risk exposures on the perceived risk of HIV infection for a group of men and women in a rural district of Malawi. The data come from a study of 1005 women aged 15 to 34 years and 735 men aged 20 to 44 years. Multivariate regression models are used to examine the association between individual background characteristics, first source of HIV/AIDS information, and proximate risk exposures on three indicators of HIV/AIDS awareness and knowledge. Results show that schooling at/above the secondary level significantly increases the odds of knowing about HIV/AIDS, as does knowing someone who has/died of AIDS. A further multivariate regression is performed to analyze the combined effects of indicators on the perceived risk of HIV infection. Odds ratios for perceived risk are highest for men and women who were treated for an STI within the last year and who had knowledge of MTCT. Odds ratios for knowledge of someone with/died of HIV, having secondary education, and having more than one sexual partner within the last month are also significant for men, while the number of partners a woman's partner has, knowing whether a healthy person can have HIV, learning about HIV/AIDS first from the radio/TV, and area of residence are significant for women's perceived risk.

Learning Objectives:

• This presentation informs researchers and practitioners about the distal and proximate factors associated with the perception of HIV risk and how these vary by gender.

Keywords: HIV/AIDS,

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.