Knowledge about HIV infection, transmission, diagnostic methods and its treatment among the students of a nursing and a Physiotherapy Colleges in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India

Authors

  • BL Bamboriya Department of Medicine, R. D. Gardi Medical College, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India
  • Yogyata Marothi Department of Microbiology, R. D. Gardi Medical College, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India
  • Meha Rawat Department of Community Health Nursing, R. D. Gardi College of Nursing, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India
  • Megha Sharma Department of Pharmacology, R. D. Gardi Medical College, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India Global Health- Health Systems and Policy: Medicines, focusing Antibiotics, Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2349-3933.ijam20190105

Keywords:

Central India, HIV/AIDS epidemiology, Knowledge assessment of healthcare students, Nursing and physiotherapy curriculum, Transmission of HIV infection

Abstract

Background: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) impairs the host's immune system until it reaches the terminal stage; Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). India has the third largest HIV epidemic in the world. Although healthcare workers (HCWs) can play a crucial role in prevention and control of HIV/AIDS, least attention is given to assess their knowledge and attitude on the topic.

Methods: A prospective, cross sectional study was conducted (January 2014 and April 2015) to assess the knowledge of HIV/AIDS among students of a nursing and a physiotherapy college in Ujjain district of central India. All enrolled students were invited to participate, of those 98% participated voluntarily (nursing-120/120 and physiotherapy-56/60).

Results: More than half of the participants were not aware that HIV is an infection causing virus and AIDS is a spectrum of conditions or a syndrome. The majority of the participants had poor knowledge about the available diagnostic tests and curative treatment of the infection. The study also reflected the participant’s belief in common myths and misconceptions. Physical contacts with intact skin during patient care and social interaction with a person living with HIV were considered as risk factors for infection transmission. More than 60% participants admitted for their inadequate knowledge and majority (>90%) were willing to participate in a training workshop on the topic.

Conclusions: Extremely poor knowledge about the infection’s epidemiology, mode of transmission, diagnostics among the future HCWs might be a rick for discrimination. Discrimination-free healthcare, a prerequisite to end the epidemic, could be achieved by addressing the myths and misconceptions among the future and present HCWs.

References

UNAIDS. The Gap Report. Geneva, 2014. Available at: http://www.unaids.org/en/resources/documents/2014/20140716_UNAIDS_gap_report. Accessed 4 July 2018.

UNAIDS. AIDS epidemic update, 2005. Available at: http://data.unaids.org/publications/irc-pub06/epi_update2005_en.pdf. Accessed 4 July 2018.

National AIDS control Organization (NACO) annual report, 2016. Available at: http://naco.gov.in/sites/default/files/Annual%20Report%202015-16_NACO.pdf. Accessed 4 July 2018.

Méda ZC, Sombié I, Sanon OW, Maré D, Morisky DE, Chen YM. Risk factors of tuberculosis infection among HIV/AIDS patients in Burkina Faso. AIDS Res Human Retroviruses. 2013;29(7):1045-55.

Taher E, Abdelhai R. Nurses knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes towards HIV/AIDS: Effects of a health education intervention on two nursing groups in Cairo University, Egypt. J Public Health Epidemiol. 2011;3(4):144-54.

Adhikari K, Gupta N, Koshy AK, Jain VM, Ghimire A, Jnawali K, et al. Knowledge and attitude towards HIV/AIDS amongst nursing students in Nepal. SAARC J Tubercul, Lung Dis HIV/AIDS. 2015;12:8-13.

NACO. ART guidelines for HIV infected adults and adolescents, May 2013. Available at: http://naco.gov.in/sites/default/files/Antiretroviral%20Therapy%20Guidelines%20for%20HIV-Infected%20Adults%20and%20Adolescents%20May%202013%281%29_0.pdf. Accessed 4 July 2018.

CDC. Center of disease control and prevention, HIV/AIDS, 2018. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/basics/whatishiv.html. Accessed 4 July 2018.

Ouzouni C, Nakakis K. HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of student nurses. Health Science J. 2012;6(1).

Goel NK, Bansal R, Pathak R, Sharma HK, Aggarwal M, Luthra SC. Knowledge and awareness of nursing students about HIV/AIDS. Health and Population: Perspectives and Issues. 2010;33:55-60.

National Health Portal of the Government of India (GoI). Available at: https://play.google.com/store/search?q=National%20Health%20Portal%20of%20the%20Government%20of%20India%20(GoI). Accessed 14th January 2019.

National Health Portanl-MoHFW. Health and Fitness. Available at: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.naco.nhp&hl=en. Assessed on 14th January 2019.

Oneworld south asia. Indian government launches mobile app on HIV/AIDS, 2015. Available at: http://southasia.oneworld.net/news/indian-government-launches-mobile-app-on-hiv-aids#.WnqDM9V96po. Accessed 4 July 2018.

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. External useful links. M-Health. Available at: https://www.nhp.gov.in/miscellaneous/m-health. Assessed on 14th January 2019.

Sachdeva S, Malik JS, Sachdeva R, Sachdev TR. HIV/AIDS knowledge among first year MBBS, Nursing, Pharmacy students of a health university, India. J Family and Comm Med. 2011;18:155-158.

Sunita B. Kalyanshetti, Kiran Nikam. A study of knowledge of HIV/AIDS among nursing students. Int J Med Science and Public Health. 2016;5(06) 1209-12.

Suominen T, Laakkonen L, Lioznov D, Polukova M, Nikolaenko S, Lipiäinen L, et al. Russian nursing student’s knowledge level and attitudes in the context of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-a descriptive study. BMC Nursing. 2015;14(1):1.

Downloads

Published

2019-01-23

Issue

Section

Original Research Articles