TY - JOUR
T1 - Contextual factors associated with knowledge and attitudes of HIV/AIDS among Malawian women of reproductive age
AU - Nkoka, Owen
AU - Ntenda, Peter A.M.
AU - Chuang, Kun Yang
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/12/1
Y1 - 2021/12/1
N2 - Background: Increasing the knowledge and attitude toward human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a key in the management of the condition. However, in Malawi, there is limited information regarding individual- A nd community-level factors associated with HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitudes. This study examined the contextual factors associated with HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitudes among women of childbearing age (WOCBA) (aged 15-49 years) in Malawi. Methods: The 2015-16 Malawi demographic and health survey was used to analyze 24 562 WOCBA who were nested in 850 communities. Mixed effects logistic regression models were fitted to estimate the fixed and random effects of individual- A nd community-level factors on HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitudes. Results: Approximately 30.9% of the participants had good HIV/AIDS knowledge while 80.5% had good HIV/AIDS attitudes. Among others, at the individual-level, woman's age, educational level and household wealth were positively associated with both good HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitudes. At the community-level, those from communities with a high percentage of women complaining about the distance to health facility were less likely to have both good HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitudes. Conclusions: Individual- A nd community-level factors have been shown to be associated with HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitudes among WOCBA in Malawi. Additionally, residual heterogeneity in terms of HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitudes across communities was observed. Therefore, thorough profiling of communities when designing public health programs and strategies may prove beneficial.
AB - Background: Increasing the knowledge and attitude toward human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a key in the management of the condition. However, in Malawi, there is limited information regarding individual- A nd community-level factors associated with HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitudes. This study examined the contextual factors associated with HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitudes among women of childbearing age (WOCBA) (aged 15-49 years) in Malawi. Methods: The 2015-16 Malawi demographic and health survey was used to analyze 24 562 WOCBA who were nested in 850 communities. Mixed effects logistic regression models were fitted to estimate the fixed and random effects of individual- A nd community-level factors on HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitudes. Results: Approximately 30.9% of the participants had good HIV/AIDS knowledge while 80.5% had good HIV/AIDS attitudes. Among others, at the individual-level, woman's age, educational level and household wealth were positively associated with both good HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitudes. At the community-level, those from communities with a high percentage of women complaining about the distance to health facility were less likely to have both good HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitudes. Conclusions: Individual- A nd community-level factors have been shown to be associated with HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitudes among WOCBA in Malawi. Additionally, residual heterogeneity in terms of HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitudes across communities was observed. Therefore, thorough profiling of communities when designing public health programs and strategies may prove beneficial.
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U2 - 10.1093/eurpub/ckab110
DO - 10.1093/eurpub/ckab110
M3 - Article
C2 - 34244737
AN - SCOPUS:85122219200
SN - 1101-1262
VL - 31
SP - 1129
EP - 1137
JO - European Journal of Public Health
JF - European Journal of Public Health
IS - 6
ER -