Organization of HIV/AIDS related attitudes and predictors of attitudes

The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychological organization of attitudes towards public measures instituted to combat AIDS; secondly, to study the cognitive information about HIV transmission upon which these attitudes are based; and thirdly, to study whether education plans and gender also predicted negative attitudes. The study subjects were 229 students attending a Norwegian high-school (median age = 19), and the data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the existence of two separate attitudinal dimensions: "Restrictive" and "Supportive". The hypothesis was confirmed that beliefs about uncontrollable contact predicted "Restrictive" attitudes, while beliefs about controllable contracts did not. Educational plans, gender and "Uncontrolable contact" beliefs each predicted "Restrictive" attitudes. This suggests that beliefs and attitudes have instrumental as well as symbolic bases. Implications for public health strategies are discussed.