Knowledge, attitudes and practices of Undergraduate students about HIV/AIDS : a case study of Year III Education students of Makerere University

Abstract

The research study was conducted to find out whether the high prevalence of HIV among the youth was due to their knowledge, attitude and practices on HIV. The objectives of the study were to find out how knowledgeable the Undergraduate Year III education students are about HIV in Makerere University, the attitudes of Undergraduate Year III Education Students on HIV/AIDS in Makerere University and to establish the practices that put at risk Undergraduate Year 111 Education Students on HIV/AIDS in Makerere University. A cross-sectional survey method was used in which data was collected using validated self-administered standardized questionnaires on knowledge, attitude and practices regarding HIV/AIDS given to a sample of 60 respondents who were undergraduate year III education students of Makerere University and these were selected by use of simple random and Purposive sampling techniques. The findings from the research showed that the students were highly knowledgeable about HIV as the mean scores for the knowledge about HIV/AIDS transmission, general knowledge, prevention were 76.42%, 78.27% and 74.90% respectively which shows they can hardly get HIV because they have adequate knowledge about it and the mean score for safety practices was 42.43% which shows that the students stand a high risk of getting HIV due to their practices. The linear regression test that was conducted between knowledge of students about HIV/AIDS and their safety practices to HIV/AIDS showed that there’s significant relationship between the two. The attitude of students towards HIV/AIDS and people living with it was desirable as it's mean score was 65%. The researchers therefore recommended that research should be conducted by the government to find out why the youth are not to a larger extent putting in practices the knowledge they have about HIV/AIDS and later help them to improve on their safety practices against HIV/AIDS.