Medicina Comunitária e Educação em Saúde

Abstrato

Knowledge, Attitude and Perception about HIV/AIDS among the Wives of Migrant Workers of Muzaffarpur District in Bihar

Alok Ranjan, Giridhara R Babu and Roger Detels

Background: There is limited evidence on the knowledge, attitude and risk perception related to HIV/AIDS among the wives of migrant workers in India.
Method: We conducted this study in 850 wives of migrant workers in age group of 15-45 years were selected randomly from 34 out of 1811 villages using two-stage cluster sampling method. A total of 132 wives of migrant workers who reported prior awareness about HIV/AIDS, were interviewed.
Result: Only 16% wives of migrant workers had ever heard of HIV of whom 72% had correct knowledge such as condoms provide protection from HIV (80%), sharing needle/syringe (91%), single sex-partner (75%) and blood test before transfusion (70%). The overall reliability coefficient (Cronbach’s alpha=0.78) of 18-items related to knowledge regarding transmission and prevention of HIV showed a high level of consistency of response. Nearly 85% of the wives perceived themselves and their husbands at very low level of risk of HIV infection. In addition, only 8 women had used condoms during sex with their husbands.
Conclusion: Intervention strategies in India should target wives of migrant workers, as well as their husbands for increasing HIV knowledge and awareness. Specifically, the wives of migrant workers need to be empowered appropriately perceiving the risk of infection and use of condoms.