Assessment of Knowledge and Attitude among School Teachers Regarding HIV/AIDS Education in Field Practice Area of a Medical College in Southern Rajasthan
Author(s): Goyal Bharat Kumar, Jain Chetan Kumar, Garg Kapil, Choudhary Mahesh, Kothari Nitin, Bhatnagar Rekha
Abstract
Background: Teachers can play a very significant role in reducing the occurrence and spread of HIV infection among their students by educating regarding causation and prevention of HIV/AIDS. This depends on their own knowledge regarding HIV/AIDS and their attitude towards HIV/AIDS education.
Objective: Purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge and attitude towards HIV/AIDS education among school teachers in Udaipur.
Material and methods: Cross-sectional, pre-structured questionnaire based study. Study was conducted among 138 school teachers in both urban and rural field practice area of Rabindra Nath Tagore Medical College, Udaipur. Data were analyzed statistically by simple proportions and test of significance (one way ANOVA) and Mann Whitney U test using SPSS ver.16.
Results: The participants were 138 school teachers comprised 42 (30.4%) males and 96 (69.6%) females. The mean age was 38.5±10.7 years. All the teachers had heard about HIV/AIDS. Commonest sources of information were News papers/ magazines/ posters (88.4%). Overall mean score of knowledge was found to be 18.2±1.92 There were significant differences in knowledge by the type of school and teaching subject (p value <0.05). The mean attitude score was found to be 20.4±5.75. There was significant differences in attitude by the type of school, teacher’s age and teaching subject (p value <0.05). No statistically significant association seen between adequate knowledge and favourable positive attitude (p >0.05).
Conclusion: Knowledge about HIV/AIDS is adequate but there is a gap between knowledge and attitude. Teachers training programme to impact on behaviour change needed.
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