Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 1997 Feb;72(2):144-6.
doi: 10.1097/00001888-199702000-00023.

Three medical schools' responses to the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the effect on students' knowledge and attitudes

D G Anderson  1 , C Vojir, M Johnson
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Three medical schools' responses to the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the effect on students' knowledge and attitudes

D G Anderson et al. Acad Med. 1997 Feb.

Abstract

Purpose: To assess the relative importance of factors influentail by the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), such as didactic and clinical training, and the number of HIV-infected individuals known personally, on students' HIV-related knowledge and attitudes.

Method: A survey was undertaken of the classes of 1991 and 1994 at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, and the University of South Dakota School of Medicine. The questionnaire contained 40 knowledge questions, 20 attitude questions, and demographic questions. The students reported estimates of HIV-related didactic hours and clinical encounters experienced during their training, as well as the number of HIV-infected individuals known personally. Data analysis employed two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Pearson correlation coefficients.

Results: In 1991 the response rates were 73% from Colorado, 54% from New Mexico, and 50% from South Dakota; in 1994 the rates were 80%, 63%, and 60%, respectively. Training programs were similar between schools and over time, varying only in the amounts of didactic information offered. The 1994 students scored significantly better than did 1991 students on knowledge, overall attitude, fear of infection, and willingness to treat HIV-infected patients; these variables were significantly correlated with the numbers of HIV-infected individuals known personally by the students. Didactic training hours were not significantly correlated with any study variable, and clinical experiences were correlated only with increased knowledge.

Conclusion: Differences in HIV/AIDS prevalences did not affect the schools' training programs, but indirectly affected the students' knowledge and attitudes, which were related to the numbers of HIV-infected individuals known personally by the students. The authors recommend that medical schools increase students' opportunities for meaningful personal contact with HIV-infected individuals.

PubMed Disclaimer

Publication types