Open AccessAssessment of comprehensive HIV/AIDS knowledge level among in‐school adolescents in eastern Ethiopia
Author(s) -
Oljira Lemessa,
Berhane Yemane,
Worku Alemayehu
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of the international aids society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.724
H-Index - 62
ISSN - 1758-2652
DOI - 10.7448/ias.16.1.17349
Subject(s) - medicine , facilitator , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , family medicine , logistic regression , quarter (canadian coin) , cross sectional study , demography , health education , environmental health , pediatrics , public health , nursing , psychology , archaeology , pathology , sociology , history , social psychology
In Ethiopia, more adolescents are in school today than ever before; however, there are no studies that have assessed their comprehensive knowledge of HIV/AIDS. Thus, this study tried to assess the level of this knowledge and the factors associated with it among in‐school adolescents in eastern Ethiopia. Methods A cross‐sectional school‐based study was conducted using a facilitator‐guided self‐administered questionnaire. The respondents were students attending regular school in 14 high schools located in 14 different districts in eastern Ethiopia. The proportion of in‐school adolescents with comprehensive HIV/AIDS knowledge was computed and compared by sex. The factors that were associated with the comprehensive HIV/AIDS knowledge were assessed using bivariate and multivariable logistic regression. Results Only about one in four, 677 (24.5%), in‐school adolescents have comprehensive HIV/AIDS knowledge. The knowledge was better among in‐school adolescents from families with a relatively middle or high wealth index (adjusted OR [95% CI]=1.39 [1.03–1.87] and 1.75 [1.24–2.48], respectively), who got HIV/AIDS information mainly from friends or mass media (adjusted OR [95% CI]=1.63 [1.17–2.27] and 1.55 [1.14–2.11], respectively) and who received education on HIV/AIDS and sexual matters at school (adjusted OR [95% CI]=1.59 [1.22–2.08]). The females were less likely to have comprehensive HIV/AIDS knowledge compared to males (adjusted OR and [95% CI]=0.60 [0.49–0.75]). Conclusions In general, only about a quarter of in‐school adolescents had comprehensive HIV/AIDS knowledge. Although the female adolescents are highly vulnerable to HIV infection and its effects, they were by far less likely to have comprehensive HIV/AIDS knowledge. HIV/AIDS information, education and communication activities need to be intensified in high schools.