AIDS Awareness: An Iranian Case Study at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad
Keywords:
AIDS, awareness, perspective about AIDS, university studentsAbstract
The present study aimed to assess Iranian university students’ awareness about AIDS and their perspective on HIV-positive patients. The study also took into account the relationship between the university students’ attitudes toward AIDS patient and their sensitivity towards AIDS. The required data for this survey study was obtained through the use of a questionnaire. The target population for the research consisted of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad university students during the 2014/2015 academic year. The questionnaire was distributed among the students and the analysis was done using Cochran’s formula and stratified random sampling. Sample size consisted of 230 male and female students. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS (Version 21) software. Research findings indicated that there was a positive correlation between the students’ awareness level and their perspective towards HIV-positive patients. In other words, with the increase of awareness about AIDS, students could gradually formulate a more positive perspective towards AIDS patients. The results also showed a negative correlation between students’ awareness level and their sensitivity to this issue. This means that students became less sensitive to AIDS as a taboo while becoming more knowledgeable regarding AIDS. Furthermore, the achieved findings demonstrated a significant relationship between the mean of awareness level in two variables of gender and academic degree. Finally, the mean of the students’ level of awareness about AIDS, their perspective about AIDS patients, and their sensitivity were respectively evaluated as high, high, and moderate.
Â
Â
References
Abedini, S., Abedini, S., Abedini, S., Khaje, E., & Kamal Zadeh, H. “AIDS awareness and perspective: Students of medical faculty of Bandarabasâ€. Dena Journal, vol.1, no. 3, pp. 19-25, 2008.
Ahmadnejad, E., Karami Yari, M., Ayubian, B., Erfani, R., Hatami, S., & Sepehrvand, N. “Evaluation of beliefs and behaviors of girls (11-18 years) about HIV/AIDS in Orumiaâ€. Journal of Fundamentals of Mental Health, vol. 8, no. 32, pp. 81-86, 2007.
Brook, U. AIDS knowledge and attitude of pupils attending urban high school in Israel. Patient Education and Counselling, vol. 3, no. 3, pp. 271-278, 1999.
Ghodsi, Z., Goodarzi, S., & Mesgari, N. “The Rate of awareness and attitudes of IAU student’s of Toyserkan on AIDS and influential factors on itâ€. Curriculum and Planning Knowledge and Research in Educational Sciences, vol. 4, no. 16, pp. 139-150, 2008.
Ghorbani, G., & Joneidi, N. “AIDS prevention methods for military personnelâ€. Aja University of Medical Sciences, vol. 1, no. 3, pp. 195-198, 2004.
Hadi, N., & Mirzaei, K. “Investigating high school students’ awareness level regarding AIDS in Shirazâ€. Iranian South Medical Journal, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 88-94, 2005.
Jafari, F., Khaldi, N., Fallah, N., & Mohammad Pour, A. “Investigation of relevant awareness and behavioural factors on AIDSâ€. Daneshvar Medicine, vol. 14, no. 68, pp. 1-8, 2007.
Koksal, S., Namal, N., Vehid, S., & Yurtsever, E. “Knowledge and attitude towards HIV/AIDS among Turkish studentsâ€. Infectious Diseases Journal of Pakistan, vol. 14, no. 4, pp. 118-123, 2005.
Maswanya, E., Moji , K., Aoyagi , K., Yahata, Y. Kusano, Y., Nagata , K., Izumi , T., & Takemoto, T. “Knowledge and attitudes toward AIDS among female college students in Nagasaki, Japanâ€. Health Education Research, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 5-11, 2000.
Mohammad Nejad, E., & Nikbakht Nasr Abadi, A. “Education-based needs assessment in nursingâ€. Zahedan J Res Med Sci, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 50-63, 2001.
Ramezankhani, A., Rostami, S., & Shokr Elahi, A. “Evaluations of the rate of awareness and attitude of high school students in Tehran government schools towards AIDSâ€. Journal of Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical and Health Services, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 42-47, 2003.
Sanei Moghaddam, E., Khosravi, S., Abiz, A., Marashi, N., Nakr Karon, M., & Sarhadi, I. “Knowledge, attitude and practice toward HIV/AIDS among students of Zahedan Islamic Azad Universityâ€. Sci J Iran Blood Transfus Organ, vol. 7, no. 4, pp. 206-213, 2011.
Savaser, S. “Knowledge and attitude of high school student about AIDS: A Turkish perspectiveâ€. Public Health Nurs, vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 71-79, 2003.
Seyam, S. “Survey of Women’s Knowledge about Aids in Rasht 2006â€. Gilan Medical University Journal, vol. 17, no. 65, pp. 59-67, 2008.
Tavoosi, A., Zaferani, A., Enzevaei, A., Tajik, P., & Ahmadinezhad, Z. “Knowledge and attitude towards HIV/AIDS among Iranian studentsâ€. BMC Public Health, vol. 4, pp. 1- 6, 2004.
Xiaodong, T., Jingju, P., Dong, Z., Chunhong, W., Chaojun, X. “HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes and behaviors assessment of Chinese students: A questionnaire studyâ€. Int J Environ Res Public Health, vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 248-253, 2007.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
- Papers must be submitted on the understanding that they have not been published elsewhere (except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture, review, or thesis) and are not currently under consideration by another journal published by any other publisher.
- It is also the authors responsibility to ensure that the articles emanating from a particular source are submitted with the necessary approval.
- The authors warrant that the paper is original and that he/she is the author of the paper, except for material that is clearly identified as to its original source, with permission notices from the copyright owners where required.
- The authors ensure that all the references carefully and they are accurate in the text as well as in the list of references (and vice versa).
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
- The journal/publisher is not responsible for subsequent uses of the work. It is the author's responsibility to bring an infringement action if so desired by the author.