MESLEK YÜKSEKOKULU ÖĞRENCİLERİNİN HIV/AIDS HARKINDAKİ BİLGİ DÜZEYLERİ VE TUTUMLARI
KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES OF STUDENTS FROM VOCATIONAL SCHOOL OF HIGHER EDUCATION TOWARDS HIV/AIDS

Summary/Abstract: The aim of this descriptive study was to determine the factors affecting the knowledge and attitudes of university students about AIDS. The study population consisted of a total of 343 students studying at a vocational school of a state university in the 2018-2019 academic year, who agreed to participate in the study. Data were collected by using Student Information Form, AIDS Knowledge Scale (AKS) and AIDS Attitude Scale (AAS). Data were evaluated by using descriptive statistics, Mann–Whitney U-test, Kruskal–Wallis test and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient test. Of the students, 55.4% were female and 51.9% were 20-21 years old. The percentage of those who stated that they had received information about AIDS before was 23.3% and 57.1% of them was observed to want to receive training about AIDS. The mean AKS scores were found to be 5.10 ± 2.12, 4.19 ± 2.31, and 3.98 ± 1.19 in the dimensions of ways of transmission, protection and general knowledge, and treatment, respectively. When the mean scores obtained from AAS sub-dimensions were evaluated, mean positive attitude score was found to be 34.21 ± 8.14 and the mean stigma score was found to be 18.29 ± 4.42. Correlation analysis showed a weak and positive correlation between the ways of transmission and positive attitude dimensions and a weak and negative correlation between stigma and ways of transmission dimensions (p<0.05). Furthermore, a weak and positive correlation was observed between protection & general knowledge and stigma and a weak and negative correlation between treatment and stigma (p<0.05). Factors affecting AKS scores were found to be age, gender, number of siblings, geographical region, education level of the father and obtaining information about AIDS whereas mean AAS scores were influenced by gender and education level of the father (p<0.05). In conclusion, this study has shown that students' knowledge and attitudes about AIDS are affected by sociodemographic variables. Majority of the students has been found to not receive information about AIDS and more than half of them has been seen to want to get an education in this regard.

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