@article{10.11648/j.cajph.20180402.13,
  author = {Gerhard Fortwengel and Sam Ibeneme and Jacqueline Behnsen and Lars Heinrich and Stephanie Ilenseer and Susanna Kirchner and Ya-Jui Liang and Marie Lindemann and Jana-Elena Michaelis and Melanie Müller and Kira Schütze and Christina Valtin},
  title = {Association of Education and Knowledge of HIV with HIV Stigma in Thirteen Selected African Countries},
  journal = {Central African Journal of Public Health},
  volume = {4},
  number = {2},
  pages = {48-58},
  doi = {10.11648/j.cajph.20180402.13},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cajph.20180402.13},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.cajph.20180402.13},
  abstract = {Majority of African countries have high stigma index(HSI) and are mostly populated by rural dwellers with high levels of illiteracy/ignorance. Therefore, poor education and knowledge of human immune deficiency virus(HIV) infection might be key drivers of stigmatization. Eight countries with a stigma index(STI) >40%(Niger, Guinea, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Mali, Togo, and Democratic Republic of Congo) of 32 African countries with listed STI by UNAIDS, and three (Rwanda, Zambia, and Namibia), with a low stigma index (LSI) of 20%, were descriptively analyzed. Four knowledge classes(≤25%-class one;>25%≤50%-class two; >50%≤75% class three; >75%-class four), and categories of stigmatisation score (1.5-class four - signifying little, medium, high and very high tendency to stigmatize, respectively), were created based on respondents 'answers to twelve questions assessing knowledge of HIV, and four questions assessing stigmatisation of HIV-positive people, respectively. Data were characterized and evaluated by frequency tables using IBM SPSS Software. Respondents in knowledge classes three and four, mainly comprised urban dwellers in both LSI (98.0%urban vs 96.5%rural), and HSI (80.3%urban vs 64.5%rural) countries. Females had higher educational attainment than males in countries with LSI (98.35%females vs 97.6%males) than his (79.8% females vs 81.6% males). However, males expressed positive views (< 0.5-class one) about having an HIV-positive teacher, continuing to teach (i.e. least tendency for social stigmatization), and would buy vegetables from an HIV-positive vendor (i.e. least tendency for physical stigmatization), than females. Meanwhile, 48% of respondents would not buy vegetables from an infected vendor, yet they knew that HIV will not be transmitted by sharing food with an infected person. Impact factors of positive attitudes towards HIV are urbanization, educational attainment, and knowledge about HIV. LSI countries are distinguished from HSI countries by higher female educational attainment and knowledge about HIV than male, which may impact HIV stigmatization, and could be of socio-cultural significance. Lesser tendency to stigmatize among males than females may suggest that socio-cultural factors which enable stigmatization may be gender-related. The greater tendency towards physical than social stigmatization may reflect respondents' perception that physical contact enables HIV transmission. The contradiction between knowledge and belief was evident hence almost half of those who knew the mode of transmission of HIV, had a negative attitude towards an infected vendor.},
 year = {2018}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Association of Education and Knowledge of HIV with HIV Stigma in Thirteen Selected African Countries
AU  - Gerhard Fortwengel
AU  - Sam Ibeneme
AU  - Jacqueline Behnsen
AU  - Lars Heinrich
AU  - Stephanie Ilenseer
AU  - Susanna Kirchner
AU  - Ya-Jui Liang
AU  - Marie Lindemann
AU  - Jana-Elena Michaelis
AU  - Melanie Müller
AU  - Kira Schütze
AU  - Christina Valtin
Y1  - 2018/05/02
PY  - 2018
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cajph.20180402.13
DO  - 10.11648/j.cajph.20180402.13
T2  - Central African Journal of Public Health
JF  - Central African Journal of Public Health
JO  - Central African Journal of Public Health
SP  - 48
EP  - 58
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2575-5781
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cajph.20180402.13
AB  - Majority of African countries have high stigma index(HSI) and are mostly populated by rural dwellers with high levels of illiteracy/ignorance. Therefore, poor education and knowledge of human immune deficiency virus(HIV) infection might be key drivers of stigmatization. Eight countries with a stigma index(STI) >40%(Niger, Guinea, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Mali, Togo, and Democratic Republic of Congo) of 32 African countries with listed STI by UNAIDS, and three (Rwanda, Zambia, and Namibia), with a low stigma index (LSI) of 20%, were descriptively analyzed. Four knowledge classes(≤25%-class one;>25%≤50%-class two; >50%≤75% class three; >75%-class four), and categories of stigmatisation score (1.5-class four - signifying little, medium, high and very high tendency to stigmatize, respectively), were created based on respondents 'answers to twelve questions assessing knowledge of HIV, and four questions assessing stigmatisation of HIV-positive people, respectively. Data were characterized and evaluated by frequency tables using IBM SPSS Software. Respondents in knowledge classes three and four, mainly comprised urban dwellers in both LSI (98.0%urban vs 96.5%rural), and HSI (80.3%urban vs 64.5%rural) countries. Females had higher educational attainment than males in countries with LSI (98.35%females vs 97.6%males) than his (79.8% females vs 81.6% males). However, males expressed positive views (< 0.5-class one) about having an HIV-positive teacher, continuing to teach (i.e. least tendency for social stigmatization), and would buy vegetables from an HIV-positive vendor (i.e. least tendency for physical stigmatization), than females. Meanwhile, 48% of respondents would not buy vegetables from an infected vendor, yet they knew that HIV will not be transmitted by sharing food with an infected person. Impact factors of positive attitudes towards HIV are urbanization, educational attainment, and knowledge about HIV. LSI countries are distinguished from HSI countries by higher female educational attainment and knowledge about HIV than male, which may impact HIV stigmatization, and could be of socio-cultural significance. Lesser tendency to stigmatize among males than females may suggest that socio-cultural factors which enable stigmatization may be gender-related. The greater tendency towards physical than social stigmatization may reflect respondents' perception that physical contact enables HIV transmission. The contradiction between knowledge and belief was evident hence almost half of those who knew the mode of transmission of HIV, had a negative attitude towards an infected vendor.
VL  - 4
IS  - 2
ER  - 

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