Measuring the Multi-Dimensional Knowledge Deprivation of Hiv/Aids: A New Approach With Indian Evidence on Its Magnitude and Determinants

Abstract

Though HIV/AIDS poses serious risks to economic security, there is very little economics literature quantifying awareness and knowledge of this disease and their principal socioeconomic determinants. This is what the present study attempts to do in the context of India, which faces a significant threat from HIV/AIDS. The study is based on India's National Family Health Surveys covering the period of economic reforms and beyond. The contribution is both methodological and empirical. The study shows that the recent multi-dimensional deprivation approach to poverty can also be used to measure and analyse awareness and lack of knowledge of HIV/AIDS. The use of decomposable multi-dimensional measures helps in identifying regions, socioeconomic groups and aspects of HIV knowledge that should be targeted in policy interventions. The study identifies the importance of safe sex practices as an area that needs to be targeted in future information campaigns. The study also explores the impact of increased female autonomy in health and economic decision-making on their and their partners' knowledge of the disease, along with a host of other economic and demographic determinants.

Interaction Between Hiv Awareness, Knowledge, Safe Sex Practice and Hiv Prevalence: Evidence From Botswana

“…The measure of knowledge Following an earlier study (Ray & Sinha, 2010), this study distinguishes between HIV awareness and knowledge. An individual may be aware of HIV but may not know much of the true nature of the disease.…”

“…The reader is referred to Ray & Sinha (2010) for further details. ignorance, of the true nature of HIV.…”

“…Ray & Sinha (2010) had shown that the recent advances in the measurement of multidimensional deprivation can be used to measure one's understanding of the disease, and provided Indian evidence in support of the proposed methodology. Ray & Sinha (2010) had shown that the recent advances in the measurement of multidimensional deprivation can be used to measure one's understanding of the disease, and provided Indian evidence in support of the proposed methodology.…”

Determinants of consistently high HIV prevalence in Indian Districts: A multi-level analysis

“…Separation from families, flourishing sex trade, marriages at a later age and availability of money from employment provide opportunities for sexual encounters with multiple partners–both commercial and non-commercial [35, 36, 52]. These conditions coupled with lack of information about HIV prevention and condoms might increase the risk of unsafe sex and chances of HIV acquisition [17, 39, 51]. Overcrowded urban areas also known to have concentrations of other HRGs like FSW, MSM etc., which can further fuel the HIV epidemic in these districts [4, 5, 54, 55].…”

“…Studies done in different parts of India had shown the association of lower literacy, higher urbanisation and socio-economic development with higher HIV prevalence levels [27, 28, 32, 34–37]. Other studies have also brought out low levels of HIV awareness and condom use in India [17, 38, 39]. However, most of these studies have been carried out in one or few states of India, and there has been no study at the national level to understand the relationships of socio-demographic factors with HIV in India.…”