Human immunodeficiency population in Japan: Knowledge and attitudes among Japanese Nutritional Science students

Objective The number of HIV/AIDS patients has increased in Japan but there is no standard for medical nutrition therapy (MNT) for the population. MNT is one of the core medical treatments for HIV/AIDS population in the U.S. This study was done to determine if Japanese nutrition students have basic knowledge of HIV/AIDS and its treatment options. Assessments of personal attitudes toward HIV/AIDS patients were also addressed. Method A self‐administered questionnaire was assigned to the participants. Questions included about basic knowledge of HIV/AIDS, background of the HIV pandemic, and MNT for the HIV population, and attitudes toward HIV/AIDS. Result 322 questionnaires from the Japanese students were available and analyzes. The most common answer on MNT questions was “Don’t know.” Regarding the attitude toward HIV people, the students felt comfortable if an HIV positive person shakes hands or lives in same apartment/next door. Most of the students answered “not comfortable” to the scenario where an HIV positive individual visits and comes into their house. Conclusion This study showed that Japanese students tend to have limited knowledge of HIV/AIDS. This may be due to a small HIV/AIDS population in Japan, which is reflected in a reduced awareness of MNT for HIV/AIDS when compared to the U.S. To provide MNT for the HIV/AIDS patients in Japan, additional education on HIV/AIDS is necessary in the student curriculum.