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The Attitudes Toward Women with HIV/AIDS Scale (ATWAS): development and validation
E L O'Hea1, S E Sytsma, A Copeland
1Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge 70803-5501, USA. eohea1@yahoo.com
Summary
Existing scales may inaccurately measure attitudes toward people with HIV/AIDS (PWA), conflating them with attitudes toward homosexuality. The Attitudes Toward Women with HIV/AIDS Scale (ATWAS) was developed to specifically assess these attitudes.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Public Health
- Sociology
Background:
- Existing scales for attitudes toward People with HIV/AIDS (PWA) may be biased, correlating negatively with attitudes toward homosexuality.
- This suggests current measures may not accurately capture attitudes toward diverse PWA populations, such as heterosexual women.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a scale specifically measuring attitudes toward women with HIV/AIDS.
- To address limitations of existing general PWA attitude scales.
Main Methods:
- Development and validation of the Attitudes Toward Women with HIV/AIDS Scale (ATWAS).
- Principal components analysis was used to determine the scale's factor structure.
- Internal consistency and construct validity were assessed.
Main Results:
- Principal components analysis revealed a four-factor structure for the ATWAS: Child Care, Myths/Negative Stereotypes, Reproduction/Contraception issues, and Sympathy/Transmission Route.
- This structure accounted for 48.6% of the variance in attitudes toward women with HIV/AIDS.
- The ATWAS demonstrated good internal consistency (r = .82) and construct validity.
Conclusions:
- The ATWAS is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring attitudes specifically toward women with HIV/AIDS.
- This scale offers a more precise tool for research compared to general PWA attitude measures.
- Findings highlight the need for nuanced approaches to understanding public attitudes towards different groups affected by HIV/AIDS.