The relationship between knowledge of HIV, self-perceived vulnerability and sexual risk behavior among community clinic workers in Chile

Abstract

Objective Testing the hypothesis of an association between knowledge and sexual risk behaviour (SRB) amongst community-clinic workers in Chile, explained by the confounding effect of self-perceived vulnerability to HIV. Methods A cross-sectional survey was analyzed; it was nested within a quasiexperimental study of 720 community-clinic workers in Santiago. The SRB score combined the number of sexual partners and condom use (coded as "high"/"low" SRB). Knowledge of HIV (a 25-item index) was coded as "inadequate"/"adequate" knowledge. Self-perceived vulnerability to HIV was categorised as being "high"/ "moderate"/"low". Control variables included socio-demographics, religiousness and educational level. Percentages/averages, Chi-square tests and logistic regression (OR-estimations) were used for descriptive, association and confounding analysis. Results Respondents were 78.2 % female, 46.8 % married and 67.6 % Catholic. Mean age was 38.9 (10.5 SD) and 69 % had university/diploma level. Self-perceived HIV vulnerability was "low" in 71.5 % cases. A negative association between knowledge and SRB was found (OR=0.55;CI=0.35-0.86), but self-perceived vulnerability did not have a confounding effect on this relationship. This relationship also persisted after being adjusted for multiple control variables (e.g. age, sex, type of primary centre, educational level, and religiousness). Conclusions Some community-clinic workers had inaccurate knowledge of HIV, which was associated with SRB. Self-perceived vulnerability did not have a confounding effect; however, future studies should further analyze occupational risk of HIV as a possible driving factor in health workers´ perception of their risk.Rev. salud pública. 12 (5): [777][778][779][780][781][782][783][784][785][786][787][788][789] 2010

Mano a Mano for Health Professions Students in Chile: A Pilot HIV Prevention Program

“…Regarding risk perception, stigma, and discrimination, our positive results were also consistent with similar broader interventions conducted in Chile among health workers, women, and men (Cabieses et al, 2010; Cianelli et al, 2011; Ferrer et al, 2009; Norr et al, 2006). Interventions that have been tailored and culturally adapted have been proven to increase awareness and reduce levels of stigma and discrimination in diverse settings, even among participants who were initially resistant to accepting information due to the existence of ingrained false beliefs and myths associated with HIV (Cianelli et al, 2011; Comision Nacional del XVII Censo de Población y VI de Vivienda, 2003; Finlay & Walther, 2003).…”

“…Additionally, and even more distressing, was that 55.6% of the students reported that they were not personally concerned about HIV, which showed a lack of apprehension and awareness of the prevalence of HIV in the student population in Chile. Similar results were also found in a study about knowledge of HIV by primary health workers in Chile (Cabieses, Ferrer, Villarroel, Tunstall, & Norr, 2010). …”

Índice de vulnerabilidad al VIH en población habitante de calle

“…En Chile, se propuso una escala de vulnerabilidad para ser aplicada en trabajadores de la salud, constituida por cuatro dimensiones (conocimiento de la vulnerabilidad intrínseco, conocimiento de la vulnerabilidad extrínseca, experiencia de la vulnerabilidad y percepción de situaciones de vulnerabilidad en los pacientes) (33) . En el modelo propuesto para la población habitante de calle, se utilizaron los conocimientos de prevención del VIH como uno de los componentes, para determinar si estaba relacionado con el tener o no conductas riesgosas, encontrando diferencias importantes especialmente en las creencias inadecuadas sobre la transmisión del VIH, los cuales pueden aumentar el rechazo por desconocimiento en las formas de transmisión hacia las personas con VIH.…”