Gender differences in knowledge, intentions, and behaviors concerning pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease prevention among adolescents.

Gender differences in knowledge, intentions, and behaviors regarding preventing pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases were studied. Data for the study were collected from 1,033 students in 13 California high schools. Females in this sample were more likely than males to have discussed sexuality topics with parents, to have engaged in sexual intercourse more frequently, to have experienced a pregnancy scare, to have used oral contraceptives during their last sexual encounter, to perceive that a larger proportion of their peers were engaging in sex and using birth control, to obtain birth control from health facilities, and to report intentions to abstain or use protection in hypothetical situations placing them at risk for unprotected sex. In contrast, males reported that they were more likely to have always used birth control, to have used birth control during their first sexual encounter, and to have used a condom during their last sexual encounter. Furthermore, males were more likely to obtain birth control from a store or a friend. Finally, males knew more about using condoms correctly and their role in preventing sexually transmitted diseases. The efficacy of interventions designed to reduce unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases among adolescents may be increased by addressing these gender differences. Understanding gender differences may also facilitate an increased role for males in the overall prevention scheme. Further research is clearly needed to increase knowledge about these gender differences.     

AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes, behaviors and intentions among Texas college students

A survey was mailed to 2000 randomly selected students at fourcampuses in a southern mid-western state. The survey examinedcollege students' knowledge, attitudes and beliefs regardingAIDS, their sexual activity, safer sex practices, prosocialactions they would be willing to take and preferred channelsof communication for additional information about AIDS and AIDSRelated Complex (ARC). The results generally indicated thatstudents were well informed about the common methods of transmissionbut showed a lack of correct information about issues such astransmission by mosquitoes and CPR administration. Condom use,knowledge of antibody tests and sexual practices were also examined.Students were generally conservative in their beliefs, attitudesand behavior, and expressed an interest in learning more aboutAIDS and ARC. Various channels of communication were examinedand recommendations were made about dissemination of informationthrough these media.     

HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes, related behaviors, and sources of information among Korean adolescents

To examine HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes, related behaviors, and sources of HIV/AIDS information among high school-aged students in South Korea. One thousand and seventy-seven students (586 females and 491 males) from 5 high schools from 5 representative school districts participated in the survey. A self-administered questionnaire measuring knowledge (19 true-false items), attitudes (4 items, 5-point Likert-type scale), sources of information (6 items, yes/no), and sexual behaviors (8 items, yes/no) was utilized. The level of HIV/AIDS knowledge among Korean adolescents was moderate, with the mean scores of 13.93 out of 19 for males and 13.35 for females (p < .01). Attitudes toward persons with HIV/AIDS were negative, with the mean scores of 3.06 for males and 3.09 for females. Of 42 respondents (4.4%) who had engaged in sexual intercourse, 18 (40%) had used condoms. Almost half of the total respondents reported they were not concerned about HIV/AIDS (46.0%), and 94.4% indicated the need for receiving HIV prevention education in the future. The respondents identified TV (52.5%) and school classes (32.1%) as the two major sources of information on HIV/AIDS. Only a few pointed to their parents (1.3%) as a source of information. This preliminary study summarizes the current status of prevention education on HIV/AIDS available in Korea and can provide implications for developing more differentiated intervention strategies specific to culture, age, and gender.     

Health care seeking behaviors related to sexually transmitted diseases among adolescents.

OBJECTIVES: This study identified social, cognitive, and behavioral factors associated with how adolescents seek health care for sexually transmitted diseases. METHODS: Data for male and female adolescents (n = 208) attending a clinic specializing in sexually transmitted diseases were examined. RESULTS: Symptomatic female adolescents required greater time to obtain care than asymptomatic female adolescents or symptomatic male adolescents. Factors affecting duration of care seeking interval included perception of barriers to care, lower self-efficacy for response to a sexually transmitted disease, greater perceived seriousness of sexually transmitted diseases, previous history of sexually transmitted diseases, and stigma. CONCLUSIONS: Improved secondary sexually transmitted disease prevention efforts among adolescents require reductions in barriers to care and improved symptom recognition by adolescents.     

Comparison of AIDS knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors among incarcerated adolescents and a public school sample in San Francisco.

Data collected from incarcerated youth (n = 113) and a public school sample (n = 802) demonstrate that both adolescent groups have a high level of AIDS knowledge. Incarcerated youth are less aware of HIV risk-reduction behaviors and report markedly higher rates of HIV risk behaviors. Incarcerated youth are at substantially increased risk of HIV infection relative to their school-based counterparts and should be a primary target of HIV prevention programs.     

Sexual behaviors and procreational intentions of adolescents and young adults with perinatally acquired human immunodeficiency virus infection: Experience of an urban tertiary center

PurposeTo assess sexual knowledge, behaviors, and procreational intentions of adolescents and young adults with perinatally acquired human immunodeficiency virus (PNA HIV) infection. Increasingly, children with PNA HIV infection survive to adolescence and become sexually active. Understanding their procreational intentions could aid in designing reproductive health and secondary prevention programs.MethodsA cross-sectional survey of adolescents and young adults with PNA HIV infection at an urban tertiary center was conducted. From June 2003 through September 2004, participants completed a questionnaire that inquired about their sexual knowledge and behaviors. Participants aware of their diagnoses also completed items regarding procreational intentions.ResultsSeventy-four percent (57/77) of eligible participants completed the survey. Thirty-three percent (19/57) of participants reported having had penile–vaginal intercourse, 89.4% of them after learning of their HIV status. Fifty percent (5/10) of sexually active female participants had been pregnant. Among the 50 participants who were aware of their diagnosis, 70% (n = 35) expressed intent to have children. A majority of those aware of the risk of maternal-to-child transmission (MTCT) (71.1%) expressed intent to procreate. Participants who perceived MTCT as low were more likely to express intent to procreate than those who perceived the risk of MTCT as high.ConclusionsAdolescents with PNA HIV infection are becoming sexually active and express intent to have children. This has important implications for secondary prevention of HIV infection. These adolescents need innovative intervention programs offering reproductive health education including procreational choices and considerations.     

青少年性知识、性态度和性行为现状研究

【目的】了解青少年性与生殖健康知识、态度和行为现状,为相关研究和干预提供依据。【方法】于2005年6~9月对武汉市桥口区、武昌区和青山区三所中学共2 987名初中学生进行知识、态度、行为(knowledge,attitude and practice,KAP)问卷调查。【结果】青少年已具备一定的青春期知识,但对生殖系统和功能缺乏系统的认识,一些概念模糊不清;男性的知识好于女性;初一学生的知识水平低于初二、初三学生。男性在对待青少年谈恋爱和性行为问题上的态度要比女性宽容。14.0%的调查对象谈过恋爱;随着年级升高,有过恋爱经历的比例逐渐增高。1.3%的调查对象有过性交经历;男生有过性交经历的比例(1.7%)高于女生(0.9%)。大多数青少年认为青春期性教育是必需的。【结论】充分了解青少年的性知识、性态度和性行为现状对设计良好的干预项目极有帮助。青春期性教育应是全社会关注的焦点之一。     

Social skills and attitudes associated with substance use behaviors among young adolescents

Purpose: To examine how adolescents’ attitudes and social skills affect current substance use and intentions to use substances in the future.

Methods: An anonymous questionnaire was administered to 2646 seventh graders in their classrooms. The questionnaire was developed to measure the frequency of tobacco, alcohol, and other substance use, anticipated use, positive attitudes toward drug use, self-efficacy to say “no,” decision-making skills, advertising-viewing skills, anxiety-reducing skills, communication skills, drug-resistance skills, perception of peer substance use, and weapon-carrying behavior. Ethnicity classified respondents as “white” or “students of color” and family structure indicated one vs. two-parent families. Data were analyzed with Spearman’s r, analysis of variance, and multiple linear regression.

Results: Forty-one percent of students were minority, 50.6% female, over 90% were either 12- or 13-year-olds, and 69.9% lived in two-parent families. A multiple linear regression model demonstrated that self-efficacy to say “no, positive attitudes toward drug use, perception of peer substance use, male gender, weapon-carrying, and fighting accounted for 51% of the variation in the current use multiple substance scale. Anticipated substance use during the subsequent year was significantly associated with current substance use, positive attitudes toward drug use, self-efficacy to say ”no, drug-resistance skills, weapon-carrying, and fighting behavior. This model accounted for 73.9% of the variance in anticipated substance use.

Conclusions: In today’s world, where drug use is common, building adolescents’ drug-resistance skills and self-efficacy, while enhancing decision-making capacity, may reduce their use of illegal substances.     

广西流动人口青少年艾滋病知识、态度及行为的调查分析

目的了解广西流动人口中不同性别青少年的艾滋病相关的知识、态度和行为状况，有针对性地采取有效措施提高他们的知识水平和自我保护的能力，防止艾滋病向普通人群扩散。方法使用预先设计的调查问卷，由经过培训的调查员指导调查对象填写问卷调查表，并运用SPSS统计软件整理资料，分析调查结果。结果男女两性总体知识水平较低，对性病艾滋病存在恐惧和歧视；两性在相关知识、性现象和行为方面均有差异。结论广西不同性别流动人口的艾滋病防治应受到重视：立足性别差异，为其提供有针对性的教育和服务，防止艾滋病的扩散。     

1470名接尘工人职业危害知信行调查

目的了解在职接尘工人对职业危害相关知识、态度、行为的现状,为进一步做好职业健康教育工作提供科学的依据。方法采用整群抽样的方法,抽取2011年9—11月间在广东省清远市某体检中心体检的1500名在职接尘工人进行问卷调查。结果发放问卷1500份,回收有效问卷1470份,有效率回收率为98.00%。职业危害相关知识知晓率为64.56%;相关正确态度持有率为92.11%;相关健康行为形成率为84.22%。Logistic回归分析结果显示影响接尘工人职业危害相关知识知晓的因素为性别、年龄、文化程度和工龄(P<0.05);影响接尘工人相关态度正确持有率的因素为学历和工龄(P<0.05);性别是影响接尘工人相关行为正确形成的主要因素(P<0.01),其OR值为2.16。结论清远市接尘工人职业卫生相关知识知晓率较低,今后应以女性、工龄短、低文化程度,大年龄组的人群为培训重点,加强工人的职业卫生知识教育。     

上海市中学生性相关知识、态度及行为分析

目的了解中学生的性相关知识、态度与行为。方法采用匿名自填式问卷对上海市某区11所中学3069名初一和高一年级学生进行调查。结果中学生的生殖健康知识水平较低，初中生和高中生的总知识得分分别为33．85分和55．08分；对中学生谈恋爱和婚前性行为的态度较开放，4／5的高中生和超过半数的初中生对婚前性行为持认同或理解态度；约1／4的高中生和约6％的初中生谈过恋爱或与异性有过拥抱行为。结论随着年龄的增长，中学生对性相关问题的态度趋于开放。性相关行为的发生比例趋于升高。然而，他们却普遍缺乏生殖健康知识。针对中学生的生殖健康问题家庭和学校应加强教育。     

AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors among juvenile delinquents in Israel.

Fifty-six Israeli adolescents under the care of probation officers were interviewed about their AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. The results suggest that these adolescents put themselves at risk of HIV infection. A substantial proportion of the sample demonstrated a lack of knowledge on issues relevant for AIDS prevention. The majority held negative attitudes toward condoms but were also sexually active, and some had experienced unprotected sexual intercourse, anal sex, and drug use. Most of the respondents, moreover, showed a lack of competence in handling situations that pressure them to act unsafely. Implications for practice are discussed.     

2010年北京市昌平区中学生烟草知识与控烟态度行为现状调查

目的了解北京市昌平区中学生烟草知识与控烟态度行为现状,为进一步开展学校控烟工作提供依据。方法 于2010年4~5月采用现况调查的方法,对辖区4所学校18个班级1 674名中学生进行匿名自填式问卷调查,了解吸烟危害相关知识知晓和态度以及行为状况。结果有9.3%的中学生从没听或看到过吸烟与健康的相关知识,6.6%的中学生不知道烟草有害成分,18.6%的中学生不知道吸烟/吸二手烟所致疾病;对吸烟/吸二手烟危害的正确认知报告率女生(97.0%/94.6%)高于男生(93.4%/90.0%)(P值均<0.01);对烟草有害成分和所致疾病认知的报告率,职高生低于初中和高中生,差异有统计学意义(P值均<0.01);女生反对吸烟的态度报告率明显高于男生(P<0.05);中学生尝试吸烟率39.0%、吸烟率10.5%、现在吸烟率8.8%,且各报告率男生>女生,职高>高中>初中,差异均有统计学意义(P值均<0.01)。结论 昌平区中学生烟草使用状况依然严峻,有知识与行为脱离现象,存在较大的吸烟潜在可能性,控烟宣传的重点人群是男生、职高学生和吸烟学生。     

青少年生殖健康知信行与心理社会能力及关联分析

[目的]了解青少年生殖健康知、信、行及心理社会能力状况,为提高青少年生殖健康水平进行相关研究及制定政策、措施提供依据.[方法]选取北京、济南、广州三地妇幼保健机构青少年门诊就诊的1 506名10～24岁未婚女青少年为研究对象,对其生殖健康认知情况、自尊水平、应对能力、内外控制源状况进行调查.[结果]青少年生殖健康知识平均62.2分;三地青少年性态度总分存在差异,且不同年龄组间在认知与态度的某些方面有所不同.45.0%青少年认同"准备结婚的男女可以有婚前性行为",24.4%的青少年"对未婚同居"表示"赞成";已有性行为者占76.7%(1 155/1 506),而每次使用避孕措施者仅为13.3%;其中895人已发生妊娠,超过两次妊娠者达35.2%;青少年自尊、应对方式等心理社会能力评分呈中等水平,并与其生殖健康知识、性态度得分及初次性行为的平均年龄存在关联(P＜0.01).[结论]青少年在生殖健康知、信、行及心理社会能力尚不够完善,应为其提供适宜的健康指导与综合服务.     

Beliefs and behavioral intentions regarding human immunodeficiency virus testing among New York City runaways.

From 1988 to 1991, 139 runaways aged 11-19 years in the New York City area (n = 70 males, 69 females) were recruited from four shelters. Each runaway participated in a semistructured interview assessing beliefs and behavioral intentions regarding human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing. When asked how they would respond to being seropositive for HIV, 29% of runaways reported that they would engage in self-destructive acts and/or harm others (e.g., suicide, unprotected sex), 80% anticipated extreme distress, 47% expected difficulty securing housing and food, and 61% believed that friends were likely to avoid them. When presented with specific alternatives, fewer runaways anticipated self-destructive acts. Drug use, rather than sexual behaviors, would lead runaways to get tested for HIV. These results suggest that health-care providers must anticipate emotional distress and potential self-destructive behavior following receipt of documentation of HIV positive serostatus among runaways. Furthermore, prior to testing, youths' access to food, shelter, medical care, and social support must be secured.     

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and suburban adolescents: Knowledge,attitudes, behaviors and risks

A seventy-nine question survey concerning AIDS was administered to 142 students in a high school senior class in Manhasset, Long Island, an affluent New York City suburb with a low incidence of AIDS. The instrument elicited information about knowledge, attitudes and beliefs, behaviors, and risks. Overall knowledge levels were high. However, substantial numbers of students demonstrated poor knowledge about the epidemiology of AIDS. Only a minority (22.7%) knew that most new cases of AIDS in the United States are among intravenous drug users. Of great concern is that 17.1% thought that AIDS could be contracted during a routine visit to the doctor's office. Of equal concern is that 19.9% thought or were not sure that AIDS could be transmitted while donating blood. When questioned about their attitudes toward those with AIDS attending school, visiting their homes, or living on their blocks, students exhibited the lowest level of tolerance for the school setting with 14.8% objecting to the presence of AIDS-infected students. While 97.9% knew of the protective effect of condoms, 25.6% were either not sure or erroneously thought that urinating after sexual intercourse lowers the risk of contracting the disease. Only a minority of students (39.7%) thought that the government was telling the truth about AIDS. While only 29.8% had had sexual intercourse, most (56.5%) planned to become sexually active in college. This coupled with the consumption of alcohol to the point of getting high or drunk by 57.1% and a history among 15.2% of having sexual intercourse while drunk is of concern. Significant AIDS risk factors found in this population include alcohol use and sexual activity.This study was undertaken in fulfillment of the requirements for the fifty-fifth Annual Westinghouse Science Talent Search while the author was a student at Manhasset High School, Manhasset, New York.I would like to thank Jay Fleisher, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor and epidemiologist at SUNY Health Science Center at Brooklyn, who assisted me in developing the survey instrument and in the overall study. I would also like to thank Jack A. DeHovitz, M.D., Associate Professor and Director of the AIDS Prevention Center at SUNY Health Science Center at Brooklyn, who helped me in the initial phases of the study. Christine Rucker, Director of the AIDS Prevention Center's Teens Helping Each Other (THEO) program, and Denise Williams of the THEO Program helped me with designing the survey questions. During the summer of 1994 I worked in the THEO program in Brooklyn with many inner-city teenagers who also made suggestions about the survey. I wish to thank all of them for their assistance. I am very grateful to Mr. Frank McDermott, District Coordinator for Social Studies at Manhasset High School who provided valuable guidance on this project.     

Rural high school students' knowledge, attitudes and behaviours related to sexually transmitted diseases.

High school students are at high risk for contracting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). A sample of 69 rural high school students from the province of Alberta, Canada were surveyed regarding their knowledge, attitudes and behaviours related to STDs to ascertain whether they differ from urban students. Results indicate that rural and urban high school students are similar in terms of knowledge about STDs, attitudes towards their prevention and also in terms of sexual behaviours. As with other studies, behaviours lagged behind knowledge and attitudes with reported condom use low. Sexual decision making was influenced mainly by the peer group. Males and females were mainly influenced by the same factors which include the willingness of their partner, the behaviours of their friends and family, concern about contracting a STD. These data emphasize the need to implement primary prevention programs for high school aged youth in rural as well as urban settings.     

AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes, and precautionary behaviors among emergency medical professionals

AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes, and precautionary behaviors were assessed among a random sample of Michigan-licensed emergency medical service (EMS) professionals between June and August 1988. Of 2,000 mailed questionnaires, 1,020 were returned (51 percent response), and 997 of the returned questionnaires were used in the final analysis. Survey results indicated that most respondents were able to correctly identify the transmission routes of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), but many respondents had misconceptions about nonviable routes, the incidence of HIV infection among health care workers, and some aspects of the natural history of HIV. More than half of the respondents (56.6 percent) believed that their chances of becoming infected with HIV were "somewhat high" or "very high," although the number of documented HIV seroconversions due to occupational HIV exposures in health care settings is low. Although only six respondents (0.6 percent) reported that they had refused treatment to patients known or suspected to be infected with HIV, 25 percent felt that EMS professionals should be allowed to refuse treatment under such circumstances. Potential exposures to HIV were assessed through respondents' reports of three activities in the 6 months prior to the survey. For each activity, use of universal precautions recommended by the Centers for Disease Control was also assessed. In general, few respondents reported the consistent use of precautions. While the majority of those attempting resuscitations (86.9 percent) reported that they always use a protective device, only 36.7 percent of those treating bleeding patients reported that they always wear gloves, and only 21.9 percent of those using needles reported that they do not recap them after use.