Developmental and Family Correlates of Children's Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding AIDS

Assessed developmental and family variables associated withchildren's knowledge of and emotional attitudes toward AIDS.Participants included 65 first to sixth graders from two privateelementary schools and their mothers. Between-groups comparisonsshowed that children knowledgeable about AIDS were older andhad more mature illness concepts than children who were notknowledgeable. Among children who were knowledgeable about AIDS,a relatively negative attitude toward AIDS was associated witha negative attitude toward illness in general. Moreover, thechildren's attitude toward AIDS was more negative than theirattitudes toward other serious illnesses. Family relations andmaternal AIDS-related knowledge and attitudes were linked withneither children's knowledge nor their attitudes.