Survey of the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of University of Wisconsin-La Crosse students regarding acquired immune deficiency syndrome

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to provide educators with an improved understanding of the current level of AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors possessed by a sample of University of Wisconsin-La Crosse undergraduates. Two hundred and twenty-three Health Education 101 students were surveyed during spring semester 1990. Students were found to be generally knowledgeable about key AIDS-related facts, although several widely-held misconceptions were indentified. While students indicated perceiving AIDS to be a severe, painful, and pervasive condition, they generally indicated a belief that their personal risk of infection is very low. In addition, many students reported changing their behavior in some way to decrease their risk of contracting AIDS. Statistical analysis using t-tests (p < .05) revealed no relationship between personal risk perception and behavior change items, although relationships were identified between two behavior change items and mean knowledge scores. Recommendations are made for results utilization by AIDS educators in designing programs targeting specific educational needs of University of Wisconsin-La Crosse students.