Perceived control, knowledge and fear of AIDS among college students: an exploratory study

It is reasoned that fear of AIDS can be an inhibiting factor for students' adopting protective health behavior against acquiring AIDS. The study examined (a) how knowledgeable students are about AIDS and being in control of their life situation and (b) the relationship between knowledge of AIDS, perceived control and other selected factors on students' fear of AIDS. Using a sample of N = 597, drawn from two east coast universities, it was seen that, although some misconceptions still persist, students were both knowledgeable and fearful about AIDS. Foreign students reported more fear of AIDS. Having less knowledge as to how AIDS is acquired and a perceived lack of control were two dominant factors shown to be statistically (P less than .05) related to a fear of AIDS. Some policy implications are discussed.