Baseline Assessment of the Knowledge, Attitudes, Belief and Practices (KABP) related to HIV/AIDS in Vasai, Maharashtra, India

Abstract

Despite of decade long national effort to target prevention programs towards the general Indian population, most prevention programs have largely focused on urban populations.  Information on semi-urban and rural populations is limited. This study is a baseline assessment of the Knowledge, Attitudes, Belief and Practices (KABP) related to HIV/AIDS, among participants receiving targeted awareness programmes in semi urban regions of Vasai taluka, Maharashtra state, which is identified as one of the high prevalence HIV-AIDS areas in India.  Participants 272 people of which 94 were train and bus commuters, 87 were school & college students, 36 were people at a health camp, 31 municipal council workers, and 24 were substance abusers who attended HIV-AIDS awareness programs at Vasai Region Aids Control Society during Nov 2022- Jan 2023. They were evaluated on a forty-item checklist (10 each of KABP).  Statistical analysis showed positive correlation between KABP indices.  Substance abusers reported significantly lower score on practices than the other groups.  There was significant difference in attitudes with students demonstrating more positive attitudes towards (HIV/AIDS) infected than commuters. The study findings (negative attitude and high-risk behaviors in this population) suggest a need to design intervention and education programs for both high-risk HIV/AIDS prevalent groups and also for the general population