Community Medicine Abstracts - College of Medicine and Health ...

Project No. 227 (2006)Knowledge, Attitude and Beliefs Among Female High School Students inGrade 12, in Abu Dhabi, regarding HIV/AIDS - An Intervention Study - Group3Student Authors: Shama Matar Hamad Al-Muhairy, Amal Salem A Balhamedh Al-Jaberi, Jamila Saif Senan Al-DhaheriFaculty Supervisors: Dr. M. Grivna, Dr. J. Al Mutawa, Prof. N. NagelkerkeAbstract:Objectives: In 1981, when Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) was firstrecognized, it did not seem to be an unusual challenge. Five years later, the diseasehad assumed epidemic proportions, crossing frontiers and creating profound difficultiesfor public health authorities worldwide in attempting to halt the spread of the HIVvirus. The extraordinarily high fatality and the modes of transmission and associatedbehavioural patterns raised questions about the adequacy of defences against thisdisease .With no treatment or cure in sight, the disease continues to spread at analarming rate(1). The adolescents and young adults are the vulnerable group andthey are at a very high risk as they are most likely at this age will face the first sexualcontacts and some of them may experienced with drugs . Therefore educationalintervention should be introduced to high schools. Our study will target the high schoolfemale students and will assess there knowledge and attitude regarding HIV beforeand after introducing an educational intervention. Our aim is to increase theawareness and help in prevention of HIV.Methods: Through a multistage random sampling, a total of 378 grade 12 femalestudents from Abu-Dhabi were included in the study. Their knowledge and attitudewere assessed using a questionnaire before and after the educational intervention. TheIntervention consist of a short presentation about HIV and three workshops to enforcethe knowledge about modes of transmission and to make the students sympathizedwith people living with HIV.Results: The students mean knowledge performance was around 61% beforeintervention and improved to 74% after intervention (18% improvement). Concerningthe attitude, the students mean attitude performance was around 50% beforeintervention and improved to 78.5% after intervention (28.5% improvement). Most ofthe students (83%) strongly agree that young people need to know how to protectthem selves against AIDS. 48% of the students chose medical professional as themost trusted source of knowledge. Some misconceptions about modes of transmissionwere evident in the study, 69% of the students before the intervention thought thatHIV can be transmitted by Mosquito and after the intervention this percentage wasreduced to 4%.Conclusion: There is a lack of basic knowledge about HIV and a lot of misconceptionsabout the modes of transmission as it was evident from the baseline assessmentbefore the intervention. There is an agreement that young people need to know howto protect them selves against AIDS as it was stated by 83% of the study sample. Theeducational intervention was effective in increasing the awareness, correcting themisconceptions about the modes of transmission and promoting more positive attitudetoward people living with HIV. There is a need to generalize this intervention toinclude all high schools in UAE. Also using the media to increase the awareness amonggeneral population should be an option.