Abstract
Objective : The questionnaire survey on the knowledge, attitude and preventive behavior toward HIV/AIDS was implemented to evaluate health service programs and clarify challenging issues for HIV/AIDS control among residents living in the border area in Yunnan, China.
Material and Method : The survey was conducted between 4 Nov. and 12 Nov. 2006 among subjects over 15 years old living in Yunnan, near the border with Myanmar. The survey was conducted by interviewers and self administered questionnaire was also available for some subjects who were literate.
Results and Discussion : It was demonstrated that the factors affecting knowledge of HIV/AIDS were mainly residential area and education level. Subjects living in rural area or with an educational level below elementary school graduation answered that they could not distinguish HIV from AIDS, recognized AIDS as an acute mortal disease and did not recognize the risk factors for infection. It was suggested that knowledge strongly influenced attitudes. It was clarified that subjects with limited knowledge about HIV/AIDS were more likely to feel prejudice toward persons living with HIV/AIDS. Differences in these factors affected the level of knowledge, and subsequently influenced appropriate attitudes and preventive behaviors. Improvement of those factors seemed to be a significant challenge. First, living standards and social standards including educational infrastructures should be improved in order to provide these subjects with a disease control program and raise their awareness of HIV/AIDS. It is expected that health education techniques such as roll playing among illiterate residents and other methods concerning the culture of minority residents urgently need to be implemented.
