 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Mian B. Hossain, MSC, MHS, PhD, MPH/DrPH Public Health Program, Morgan State University, 343 Jenkins Building, 1700 E. Cold Spring Lane, Baltimore, MD 21251-0001, 443-885-4132, mbhossain@moac.morgan.edu and Rena G. Boss-Victoria, RN, APN, DrPH, Public Health Program, Morgan State University, Jenkins Bldg, Rm 343, 1700 East ColdSpring Lane, Baltimore, MD 21251.
Background: According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is the leading cause of death among African Americans between the ages of 25 and 44. Although African Americans make up approximately 13 percent of the United States’ population, they make up 57 percent of all new Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cases. These statistics prove that HIV and AIDS are affecting Black America in alarmingly disproportionate numbers. If knowing is half the battle, African Americans are half defeated on the issue of HIV. Specialists argue that a lack of knowledge perpetuates the crisis. For African Americans a lack of education is only the beginning of the problem. This factor is largely responsible for the rate at which the virus is spread. Since many infected African Americans are not aware of their infection, they continue behavior that puts others at risk. Objective: The objective of this study is to assess the knowledge, beliefs and attitudes towards the risk factors of HIV/AIDS among Historical Black College and Universities (HBCU) students. Methods: The data for this research has been taken from a study on HIV/AIDS for a sample of 1200 HBCUs students. In addition to bi-variate results, multiple regression will be used in assessing knowledge, attitude and behavior among HBCU students. Results: Preliminary results indicate that there is a significant difference in HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitude and behavior among HBCU students. Most of them answered questions about HIV infection, but knowledge about HIV varied by age and level of education.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: HIV/AIDS, African American
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.