Knowledge, attitude, belief and practices survey in relation to AIDS amongst children, ages 11-16 years old in Barbados

ABSTRACT

In the five years, up to the end of 1989, after the first case of AIDS was diagnosed in Barbados, 111 cases have been reported by the Ministry of Health. Of these cases 23 (20 per cent) have occurred in persons between the ages of 15-25 years of age. Given the accepted average period of 8-10 years between infection with the causative virus HIV and the onset of AIDS, it is clear that transmission of HIV is a significant problem amongst children of school age. In order to reduce the transmission of HIV amongst this group, it is necessary to target education efforts in a specific manner, which should be related to their knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and practices as they pertain to the transmission of HIV. A study of these parameters was carried out using a pretested self-administered questionnaire. A random selection of students in all secondary schools in Barbados (ages 10-16 years) was carried out. Of the total of 1,856 to whom questionnaires were sent there were 1,791 respondents of whom 798 (44.6 per cent) were boys and 993 (55.4 per cent) were girls. The age profile and other demographic characters, validated the representative nature of the sampling. The level of knowledge about the transmission of AIDS was generally high with one or two areas of uncertainty. Thirty-three percent of the sample had been sexually active, with an average of 2.3 partners, however their sexual activity had been reduced in the last year with 20 per cent sexually active with an average of 1.2 partners. (AU)