HIV/AIDS knowledge and occupational risk in primary care health workers from Chile.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between knowledge level and occupational risk exposure to HIV/AIDS in primary care health workers. METHODOLOGY: Analytical cross-sectional study. 720 health workers from Santiago answered a survey about HIV/AIDS that included: knowledge level (appropriate, inappropriate), occupational risk (with or without risk), and control variables (age, gender, health center, education and marital status). Descriptive and association analysis were performed. Odds Ratio (OR) was estimated through simple and multiple regressions logistics. RESULTS: 58.7% of the participants reported HIV occupational risk. 63.8% of the participants from the exposed group reported an appropriate level of knowledge, versus 36.1% of the non-exposed group (Adjusted OR of 3.1, IC95%OR: 2.0-4.8, p<0.0001). Technicians and cleaning staff reported a lower proportion of appropriate level of knowledge compared to the employees with college education (p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: The level of HIV/AID occupational risk is directly associated with the level of knowledge of the disease.

Knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of nurses and nursing students towards HIV/AIDS.

OBJECTIVE: To describe attitudes, knowledge and perceptions of nurses and nursing students towards the people who live with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). METHODOLOGY: Bibliographic study in which six electronic databases were searched using the key words: "attitude", "knowledge", "nursing", perceptions", "HIV/AIDS". Publications between 1998 and 2007 were considered. RESULTS: 560 articles limited by scientific researches or ministerial reports membership were retrieved. Finally a total of 38 publications were selected, the analysis showed that the level of knowledge of nurses and nursing students about PLWHA is good and the attitudes towards HIV/AIDS have improved over time. Nurses and nursing students have been able to identify both positive and negative aspects in the PLWHA care personally and professionally because there is a more favourable perception. CONCLUSION: There are few studies in Latin America and Chile that study the attitudes and knowledge of the studied population towards PLWHA. According to publications found the knowledge and attitudes have improved because the perception is more favourable.

Servicios particulares de atencion a los adultos mayores en Chile / Private services caring for the aged adults in Chile

Se presenta la situación demográfica de Chile, haciéndose énfasis al aumento de la población de las personas mayores de 60 anos; se reflexiones sobre las cuales los adultos mayores muchas veces no puedem vivier en sus hogares, por lo que utilizan la alternativa de vivir en Residencias geriátricas...