Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Related to HIV Stigma and Discrimination Among Healthcare Workers in Oman

Stigma and discrimination undermine the quality of life of people with HIV and their access to health services. This study aimed to assess HIV-related knowledge, attitudes and practices among healthcare workers (HCWs) in Oman.

This cross-sectional study took place between July and November 2016. A questionnaire was distributed to 1,400 government HCWs to determine HIV-related knowledge, attitudes and practices.

A total of 1,281 HCWs participated (response rate = 92%). Routine tasks, such as dressing wounds, drawing blood and touching clothes, were a cause of concern for 24-52% of HCWs. Only 69% correctly answered questions regarding the transmission of HIV via eating/drinking and mosquito bites. Compared to other HCWs, doctors had significantly higher knowledge (mean = 0.46, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.19 to 0.73; P <0.001), attitude (mean = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.31 to 1.24; P = 0.001) and practice (mean = 2.07, 95% CI: 1.59 to 2.55; P <0.001) scores. Expatriates also scored significantly higher in knowledge (mean = 1.08, 95% CI: 0.93 to 1.23; P <0.001), attitude (mean = 1.23, 95% CI: 0.98 to 1.48; P <0.001) and practice (mean = 1.08, 95% CI: 0.82 to 1.34; P <0.001) compared to Omani nationals. Finally, those with >15 years' work experience scored significantly higher on knowledge (mean = -0.60, 95% CI: -1.12 to -0.08; P = 0.025) and attitude (mean = -0.99, 95% CI: -1.87 to -0.10; P = 0.029) compared to those with less experience.

The high rate of HIV-related stigma among HCWs in Oman should be rectified in order to achieve the 90-90-90 target set by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS.