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Introduction@#Constant stress predisposes medical students to anxiety. The study aimed to determine the association between animal companionship and anxiety among medical students at UERMMMCI.@*Methods@#The study utilized an analytical cross-sectional design via an online form with the anxiety portion of the HADS questionnaire. Participants included first to third year medical students of a private medical school.@*Results@#A total of 161 responses were recorded. Sex and year-level exhibited significant association with anxiety. Those with anxiety were 2.71 times more likely to be females (p = 0.007). Stratification showed that those with anxiety were 1.72 times less likely to be females with pets (p = 0.37) while, in contrast, those with anxiety were 3.64 times more likely (p = 0.02) to be males with pets. Those with anxiety were likely to belong to first and second-years (p = 0.01 and p = 0.06), respectively and pet owners, though, not statistically significant (p = 0.357).@*Conclusion@#An association between sex and year-level with anxiety was noted. Those with anxiety were likely to be females, first-years, and males with animal companionship. Although they did not reach statistical significance.
Subject(s)
Animals , Anxiety , Students, MedicalABSTRACT
Introduction@#Caffeine use disorder (CUD), a problematic caffeine use pattern, is yet to be recognized under DSM-5 and is under consideration for further research. This study aimed to determine if the sex, employment status, and smoking status of Quezon City residents aged 18 years old and above are associated with CUD, and to determine the mean daily caffeine consumption (MDCC) of caffeinated products and the proportion of individuals meeting the CUD criteria.@*Methods@#A total of 334 respondents accomplished the online survey that collected socio-demographic information and evaluated CUD using an 8-point Caffeine Consumption Questionnaire (CCQ). @*Results@#The study population was mostly composed of females, unemployed, and non-smokers. Results showed that 17% of respondents have CUD, that brewed coffee was most consumed daily, the MDCC of the study population was 158.31 mg; and females were at an increased risk for CUD, while nonsmokers and unemployed individuals were at reduced risk. @*Conclusion@#The proportion of Quezon city residents that have CUD is at 17%, consuming an average of 158.31 mg of coffee daily, with brewed coffee being consumed most. Female residents are at an increased risk of having CUD, while nonsmokers and unemployed individuals are at a decreased risk.
Subject(s)
Caffeine , Coffee , Cross-Sectional Studies , Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental DisordersABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION@#Hypertension is a key modifiable risk factor for myocardial infarction and stroke, yet medication adherence remains low. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has further complicated the management of chronic diseases like hypertension. This study aimed to explore the correlation between the patient-doctor relationship and medication adherence among hypertensive Filipinos aged 40-65 years in the Greater Manila Area during the pandemic.@*METHODS@#A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 131 hypertensive Filipino participants. Data were collected through an online survey, assessing participant demographic and medical profiles, medication adherence using the Hill-Bone Compliance Scale (HBCS), and the patient-doctor relationship using the Physician-Doctor Relationship Questionnaire-9 (PDRQ-9).@*RESULTS@#Approximately half of the participants demonstrated good adherence to hypertension medication. A weak but significant positive correlation was found between overall medication adherence and the patient-doctor relationship. The duration of anti-hypertensive drug intake also showed a weak positive correlation with medication adherence. Factors such as comorbidities and type of consultation did not significantly impact medication adherence.@*CONCLUSION@#This study emphasizes the significance of the patient-doctor relationship in medication adherence among hypertensive Filipinos during the COVID-19 pandemic. Enhancing communication and trust between patients and physicians can potentially improve medication adherence and overall disease management.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Hypertension , Medication Adherence , Perception , Antihypertensive AgentsABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION@#The Philippines tops globally for time spent on social media. This study aimed to explore the association between social media addiction, body image, and social comparison among young adult Filipino women aged 18-25 years old in Metro Manila.@*METHODS@#The Social Media Addiction Scale (SMAS), Body Image Questionnaire (BIQ), and Iowa-Netherlands Comparison Orientation Measure (INCOM) were used to assess social media addiction, body image, and social comparison, respectively. PRR (CI 95%) assessed the association between SMA and BI, and SMA and SC.@*RESULTS@#Majority of participants had social media addiction (91.11%), while most reported a neutral body image (87.64%). Additionally, more than half of the participants exhibited a high tendency towards social comparison (53.15%). The study found a positive association between social media addiction and negative body image, as well as a significant positive association between social media addiction and social comparison. Obesity showed a significant positive association with negative body image perception, while being overweight was significantly associated with a lower likelihood of having a positive body image. Spending at least 4 hours per day on social media was significantly associated with a higher tendency towards social comparison.@*CONCLUSION@#These findings suggest the presence of social media addiction among young adult Filipino women and its association with body image and social comparison. Awareness of these associations can contribute to the development of targeted interventions and educational programs to promote healthier social media use and positive body image among young adults.
Subject(s)
Internet Addiction Disorder , Body Image , Social ComparisonABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION@#Salba-chia (Salvia hispanica L.) is a popular functional food containing high levels of protein, total dietary fiber, and is an excellent source of α-linolenic acid. Chia seeds significantly decreases weight, suppresses appetite, and has a potential benefit in the management of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of chia seeds as an adjuvant treatment for T2DM.@*METHODS@#Randomized controlled trials from 1990 onwards involving Type 2 diabetic patients given chia seed were included. PubMed, Cochrane, ClinicalKey, Google Scholar, and Hinari were searched systematically using MeSH terms “chia”, “Salvia hispanica”, “dietary supplement”, and “diabetes”. The quality of trials was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration tool. Data on the study design, blinding status, characteristics of participants, medications taken by participants, chia seed intervention, comparator, duration of intake, and interval of assessment were extracted. The percent change of outcome from baseline was compared between the chia and control groups.@*RESULTS@#Four randomized trials with a total of 213 diabetic patients were enrolled in the treatment group using ground salba-chia or the control group using bran. The supplementation of chia resulted in a statistically significant decrease in fasting glucose (-2.90 mmol/L; 95% CI, -3.08, -2.72; p < 0.001), waist circumference (-2.49 cm; 95% CI -2.81, -2.17; p < 0.001), total cholesterol (-2.72 mmol/L; 95% CI -3.68, -1.74; p < 0.001), HDL (-3.69 mmol/L; 95% CI -3.95, -3.42; p < 0.001), LDL (-3.22 mmol/L; 95% CI -4.08, -2.36; p < 0.001); and an increase adiponectin levels (6.50 mg/L; 95% CI 6.25, 6.25; p < 0.001).@*CONCLUSION@#Intake of chia seeds resulted in a statistically significant decrease in fasting blood glucose, waist circumference, total cholesterol levels, HDL and LDL cholesterol levels, and increased adiponectin. Chia seeds are generally safer and have lesser side effects compared to the placebo. Chia is effective as adjunctive treatment for Type 2 diabetic patients.
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Background@#Worldwide, diabetes mellitus (DM) is a serious health issue with a global prevalence of 9.8% in 2021. According to the latest 2018 Expanded National Health and Nutrition survey done by the DOST-FNRI, the prevalence of diabetes in the Philippines have more than doubled from 3.4% in 2003 to 7.9% in 2018. The latest research conducted regarding diabetes care in the Philippines was in 2008 which showed that 85% of patients with diabetes failed to achieve the HbA1c general target of <7%.@*Objectives@#A population-based cross-sectional study to update the current status of diabetes care in the Philippines, specifically to determine glycemic control, trends in DM management, prevalence of complications and lastly their clinico-socio demographic profile.@*Methods@#340 patients with diabetes were included from the clinics of the Institute for Studies on Diabetes Foundation, Inc. physicians. The following data were collected: clinico-socio demographic profile, HbA1C-based glycemic control, trend in the use of glucose lowering agents, and prevalence of diabetes complications.@*Results@#The mean age of the 340 patients with diabetes in this study was 62 years old. Almost sixty-seven percent (66.8%) were females. The mean body mass index was 26 kg/m2. The mean duration of diabetes was 12.63 years. Close to sixty- eight percent (67.6%) had tertiary education, 58.8% were unemployed and 65% had above minimum income. The most commonly used single oral agent was biguanide (72.9%), followed by dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (64.3%). The most common dual therapy combinations were biguanide plus dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (43.2%), biguanide plus sulfonylureas (27.2%), and biguanide plus sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors (11.1%). Basal insulin was the most commonly used injectable agent. The present study showed that 47.4% of patients achieved an HbA1c of <7%. For the microvascular complication group alone, most had neuropathy (30.4%) followed by nephropathy (17.3%) and by retinopathy (5.4%). For the macrovascular complication group, the most common was coronary artery disease (82%) followed by peripheral artery disease and DM foot (27%). Overall, the most frequent DM complication identified was neuropathy (30.4%) , nephropathy (17.3%) and coronary heart disease (16.1%).@*Discussion@#Compared to the 2008 study, oral glucose lowering agents’ usage shifted from sulfonylureas to more use of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors. There was a decline in the use of thiazolidinediones, α-glucosidase inhibitors and non-use of meglitinides. For insulin use, there was a shift from the use of premixed insulin to more basal insulin usage. There was marked improvement in the diabetes care situation in the Philippines from the 2008 study to the 2020 study. Glycemic control defined as HbA1c level of <7.0 increased from 15% to 47.4%. Coronary artery disease was the most common macrovascular complication while neuropathy was the most common overall and microvascular complication.
Subject(s)
Diabetes Complications , Glycemic ControlABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION@#Hypertension was identified by the CDC to be one of underlying medical conditions that might pose an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19. This study aimed to determine the effect of hypertension on the morbidity of COVID-19 patients to help physicians in adjusting the management plans for a better prognosis.@*METHODS@#Participants included all COVID-19 patients with hypertension as a pre-existing medical condition. Studies were selected based study design, participants, exposure, outcome, timing, setting and language. MEDLINE and CINAHL, ScienceDirect, Clinical Key, OVID database, Wiley Online library, and UpToDate were searched. The risk of bias in selection, comparability and outcomes were evaluated. All information gathered were collated and evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale and CEBM.@*RESULTS@#There was a statistically significant positive association between mortality and hypertension as a prognostic factor (OR = 5.25, 95% CI 2.42, 11.40; HR = 2.21, 95% CI 1.75, 2.80). Individual studies all showed a significant relationship between hypertension and mortality in COVID-19 patients with OR ranging from 1.75 to 28.88, and HR of 1.49 to 3.32.@*CONCLUSION@#Hypertension as a comorbid condition is a significant prognostic factor in the prediction of mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
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INTRODUCTION@#Studies showed that those who tested positive for COVID-19 have a 65% risk for a psychiatric disorder, while those undergoing isolation or quarantine are put at risk for anxiety and depression. The objective of this study was to appraise studies that determine the risk factors for psychiatric disorder post-COVID-19 infection.@*METHODS@#All cross-sectional and cohort studies from 2019 onwards that had COVID-19 survivors that developed anxiety, depression and/or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), were included. Medline, Cochrane Library and ClinicalKey were searched using MeSH terms including “COVID-19”, “depression”, “anxiety”, “post-traumatic stress disorder”, and “risk factor”. The risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. The data extracted from the studies were characteristics of the participants, risk factors, outcome measures and outcomes.@*RESULTS@#Four cohort and four cross-sectional studies involving 1438 COVID-19 survivors who developed depression, anxiety and/or depression were included. The risk factors that were statistically significant were 1) female sex (RR = 1.86; 95% CI 1.06, 2.04; Z = 2.32; p = 0.02) for depression, 2) having family members infected with COVID-19 (RR = 1.56; 95% CI 1.32, 1.85; Z= 5.17; p = <0.01) for depression, 3) steroid administration during hospital admission (RR = 1.62; 95% CI 1.07, 2.47; Z = 2.26; p = 0.02) for anxiety and 4) female sex (RR = 2.13; 95% CI 1.16, 3.91; Z = 2.45, p = 0.01) for PTSD.@*CONCLUSION@#Female sex increases the risk of depression and PTSD. A family history of COVID-19 increases the risk of depression. Steroid administration is a risk factor for anxiety.
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INTRODUCTION@#Almost half of adult Filipinos were unwilling to receive the COVID-19 vaccination in early 2021. This study aimed to describe the COVID-19 vaccination experience in the Greater Manila Area. @*METHODS@#An analytical cross-sectional study design was done where Filipinos aged 18-60 years old residing in the Greater Manila Area answered an online survey. Fisher’s exact test was used to compute p-values for the association between participants’ willingness or refusal to get vaccinated and their sociodemographic and clinical characteristics.@*RESULTS@#Among 1,248 respondents, 97.92% were willing to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The majority who refused strongly agreed that the vaccine could cause serious side effects (46.2%). Being a college graduate (OR = 3.03, p = 0.006) and high income (OR = 5.06, p = 0.003) had a statistically significant positive association with willingness to get vaccinated.@*CONCLUSION@#There are more individuals willing to get vaccinated and there is a statistically significant association between educational attainment and monthly income with vaccine willingness or refusal.
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INTRODUCTION@#The COVID-19 pandemic forced Philippine medical schools to adapt their curriculum design to fit an online setup. This study aimed to analyze and interpret the lived experiences of medical students who experienced online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic and to explore the adaptations to online learning.@*METHODS@#This is an interpretive phenomenological study using purposive sampling. Participants were 1st to 3rd year medical students enrolled for Academic Year 2020-2021. Participants were interviewed online by a psychologist who was not part of the research team using a 13-question guide. The interviews were recorded and transcribed. Interview data were analyzed and interpreted using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA).@*RESULTS@#Nine medical students were interviewed. The IPA identified six superordinate themes: 1) positive adaptations through positive reframing; 2) resulting mental health concerns; 3) intrinsic and extrinsic concerns encountered; 4) self-awareness as a first step towards adjustment; 5) dual role of family; and 6) perceptions on systemic response. @*CONCLUSION@#Online medical education during the pandemic resulted in problems and mental health concerns among participants, and many developed self-awareness and positive adaptations specific to the online setup. Participants’ families helped some adjust, while others posed an additional challenge. Both positive and negative perceptions of the systemic response of the school also arose.
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INTRODUCTION@#Probiotics such as Saccharomyces boulardii are now advocated for the treatment of diarrhea. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine the effectiveness of Saccharomyces boulardii in the treatment of diarrhea.@*METHODS@#MEDLINE, EBSCO, Clinical Key, and the Cochrane Library were searched for clinical trials which used Saccharomyces boulardii as primary or adjuvant treatment for diarrhea. Outcomes included were treatment success in the form of cessation of diarrhea, decrease in the duration of diarrhea, decrease in hospital days, and improvement of dehydration. The Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine Critical Appraisal tool together with the Cochrane Collaboration tool was used to assess the risk of bias, RevMan 5.4 for encoding, and the Mantel-Haenszel method for analysis to compute a pooled result. @*RESULTS@#Eleven clinical trials involving 1,541 participants were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. Seven studies showed a non-significant overall decrease in the duration of diarrhea of 1.65 days (p = 0.25), five studies showed an overall significant beneficial response (RR = 1.68, p < 0.001) in the cessation of diarrhea. There was a statistically significant mean decrease (1.01 days, p < 0.001) in duration of hospitalization; and a statistically significant decrease (0.18 days or 4.32 hours, p = 0.04) in the duration of vomiting.@*CONCLUSION@#A systematic review and meta-analysis of 11 clinical trials favors the use of Saccharomyces boulardii in the treatment of diarrhea in terms of cessation of diarrhea, decrease in the duration of hospitalization and duration of vomiting.
Subject(s)
Saccharomyces boulardii , Probiotics , DiarrheaABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION@#The social environment of adolescents plays a significant role in their psychological wellbeing, which in turn contributes to their personal development as individuals. This research aimed to determine the correlation between internet addiction and the psychological well-being of high school students in private schools in Metro Manila for the school year 2020-2021.@*METHODS@#High school students from Grades 7-12 in private schools in Metro Manila, with at least one account in any social media platform participated. The Internet Addiction Test and The Flourishing Scale were used to determine internet addiction and psychological well-being, respectively. Spearman’s rank-order correlation was used to determine the magnitude of correlation between internet addiction and psychological well-being.@*RESULTS@#The prevalence of internet addiction was 46.1% among 128 respondents. The mean psychological well-being score of the participants was 45.9 ± 7.84. There was weak statistically significant negative correlation between psychological well-being and internet addiction (rs(126) = -0.346, p < 0.001).@*CONCLUSION@#Students with higher scores of internet addiction were more likely to have lower scores in psychological well-being. There was weak statistically significant negative correlation between psychological well-being and internet addiction.
Subject(s)
Humans , Adolescent , Internet Addiction Disorder , Dependency, Psychological , InternetABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION@#Unregulated biomedical waste management is an emerging public health problem in the Philippines. This study aimed to differentiate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of nurses and medical technologists toward biomedical waste management.@*METHODS@#Using an analytic cross-sectional study design, an online survey of nurses and medical technologists from hospitals around the Philippines was conducted. A 27-item questionnaire covering knowledge, attitudes and practices was used. The percentages of correct answers and mean scores in each domain was compared between the nurses and medical technologists.@*RESULTS@#A total of 196 respondents consisting of 77 registered nurses and 119 medical technologists were included in the study. Medical technologists had significantly better knowledge scores than nurses on disposal procedures for expired blood units and by-products waste (55% vs. 19%, p = 0.026). Both had low correct responses on adequate disposal of human tissue remains, throwing blood waste into domestic waste, and throwing of expired medications in domestic waste. There was no significant difference in the attitude of nurses and medical technologists. Nurses had significantly better practice scores on disposal of liquid waste in bags (84.4% vs. 68.9, p = 0.018), but medical technologists fared better at disposal of human tissue together with other waste (13.0% vs. 2.5%, p = 0.006). @*CONCLUSION@#Both nurses and medical technologists had adequate knowledge of some aspects but were lacking in others. There was no significant difference in the attitude of nurses and medical technologists towards biomedical waste management. Half of the respondents practiced proper biomedical waste management.
Subject(s)
Medical Laboratory Personnel , Waste Management , Knowledge , AttitudeABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION@#Several studies on the effectiveness of exercise in improving sleep quality in the elderly have been done but have conficting results. This meta-analysis aimed to determine the effect of low- to moderate-intensity aerobic exercise in improving sleep quality among the elderly.@*METHODS@#EBSCO, ClinicalKey, PubMed, Wiley Online Library, and Cochrane Library were searched for articles using the terms “exercise AND sleep quality AND elderly”. The risk of bias assessment was done using the Cochrane Collaboration tool and encoded using RevMan 5.4. Data on outcome measures were subjected to meta-analysis using inverse variance methods.@*RESULTS@#Seven articles with a total of 225 participants were included. There was a statistically signifcant improvement in sleep quality with low to moderate intensity aerobic exercise (MD = -3.87 points; 95% CI -5.56, -2.19 points; p < 0.001). There was a statistically signifcant decrease in total sleep time after intervention (MD = -8.86; 95% CI -16.31, -1.41 points; p = 0.02). There was no improvement in sleep effciency.@*CONCLUSION@#Low and moderate intensity exercise improves sleep quality in the elderly and may be used as a non-pharmacologic intervention to enhance sleep quality.
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INTRODUCTION@#Diabetes mellitus is a serious health issue in every nation of the world. The quality of life of diabetic patients is sometimes compromised because of the numerous medications being taken and as a consequence of the diabetic complications. There is a need for a validated Filipino translated quality of life questionnaire that can be used by researchers in the Philippines.@*METHODS@#This is a linguistic validation study of the Filipino version of the Asian Diabetes Quality of Life Scale (ADQOL). The ADQOL was translated in Filipino, back translated to English, reviewed, tested on patients, revised, and fnalized. Content validity, cognitive validity, and test stability using test-retest reliability were determined.@*RESULTS@#The item content validity index showed a score of 1.00 except for two numbers which scored 0.80 and 0.90 on clarity. The scale content validity index universal agreement and average also scored 1.00 for representativeness, relevance and appropriateness. The comprehension index average was 0.97 while the average clarity index was 0.96. The per item Cronbach’s alpha score ranged from 0.86 – 0.89 with no item lower than 0.70, while the overall Cronbach’s alpha was 0.88. The test retest reliability showed a Bland Altmann Plot repeatability correlation of 0.813 and a Pearson’s correlation of 0.820.@*CONCLUSION@#The validity and reliability testing of the Filipino version of the Asian Diabetes Quality of Life questionnaire had a higher validity and reliability score as compared with the original English version making it a valid and reliable tool for researchers who would want to measure the quality of life of Filipino patients with type 2 diabetes.
Subject(s)
TranslationsABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION@#This study aimed to determine if using Angelica keiskei (ashitaba) tablets as adjuvant therapy to the usual medications for patients with type II diabetes mellitus would result in significant lowering of blood sugar.@*METHODS@#The antidiabetic effect of Angelica keiskei was evaluated in diabetic Filipino patients as an adjuvant treatment to antidiabetic medications through a randomized single-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. Patients recruited from select barangays in Quezon City and San Juan City were randomly assigned to either ashitaba or placebo group. The effect was measured by obtaining and comparing fasting blood sugar pre- and post-treatment.@*RESULTS@#There was no significant change in FBS from the baseline in the ashitaba (p = 0.174) and placebo (p = 0.128) groups after two weeks. There was a significant increase in the systolic BP of the ashitaba group (p= 0.014) but not in the placebo group. There were no significant changes in the diastolic BP of either group. @*CONCLUSION@#Dietary supplementation of 500 mg ashitaba capsules thrice daily for two weeks did not exhibit any glucose-lowering effects among type II diabetic patients maintained on oral anti-diabetic medications.
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INTRODUCTION@#Medical students are susceptible to depression due to the constant exposure to stressful situations and almost 30% of medical students suffer from depression. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of depression among first- to third-year medical students in a private medical institution.@*METHODS@#A descriptive, cross-sectional study design was employed on first- to third-year medical students selected through simple random sampling. They were asked to answer the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 for the assessment of depression. @*RESULTS@#The prevalence of moderate to severe depression was 19.1%. Almost 15% of the first-year medical students, 23.7% of the second-year medical students and 18.3% of the third-year students were found to have a risk of having depression. Twenty-one percent of the male students and 18.4% of the females were classified to have depression.@*CONCLUSION@#Almost one-fifth of the first- to third-year medical students in the private medical institution have depression. The highest prevalence of having depression was among second-year medical students, males, 20 to 22 years old.
Subject(s)
DepressionABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION@#Several studies have suggested that music has a significant effect on memory. Classical music has been studied extensively. However, there are studies on other types of music like binaural beats which involve the introduction of tones of different frequencies. This study aimed to determine the effects of binaural beats stimulation compared to classical music on memory among high school students.@*METHODS@#This was a randomized single-blind controlled trial among senior high school students in a selected private school assigned to listen to either binaural beats stimulation or classical music to determine their effect on memory as measured by the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS). Pre- and post-intervention RBANS scores were compared within and between the two study groups.@*RESULTS@#RBANS scores in both classical music and binaural beats stimulation groups improved with an increase of 20.58 ± 10.33 and 20.26 ± 12.06, respectively. The difference between the increase in scores was not significant.@*CONCLUSION@#Exposure to either binaural beats stimulation or classical music provided statistically and clinically significant increases in memory. Binaural beats stimulation increased memory to the same degree as classical music.
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INTRODUCTION: The Philippines continues to see an increasing trend in diagnosed cases of HIV. Thepredominant population of males having sex with men (MSM) is the 25-34 years age group, but trendsshow an increasing incidence in younger populations. This study aimed to determine the participants'HIV/AIDS related knowledge, attitudes and practices and its relationships with the sociodemographicfactors of youth MSM in Metro Manila.METHODS: The researchers used an analytic, cross-sectional design using a self-administered questionnaire.The survey tool consisted on 24 items on knowledge and 12 on attitudes. Respondents were classifiedinto "inadequate" and "adequate" knowledge, and "poor" and "good" attitudes for the analysis. Purposivesampling was used to recruit 251 respondents.RESULTS: The mean age of the respondents was 22 ± 1.7 years. Most of the respondents had high HIVknowledge and good attitudes towards PLHIV but still engaged in risky sexual practices. Those who hadundergone HIV testing were significantly more likely to have good knowledge regarding HIV/AIDS. Withregards to attitudes, those not in a relationship were significantly more likely to have positive attitudestowards PLHIV and HIV/AIDS.CONCLUSION: HIV testing status positively influences HIV/AIDS-related knowledge while being singlepositively influences attitudes towards PLHIV and HIV/AIDS. No significant findings were found betweenage, educational attainment and religious affiliation with knowledge and attitudes.