Israeli professionals' knowledge and attitudes towards AIDS

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Education
• Social Sciences

Background:

• Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) awareness and attitudes among healthcare professionals are crucial for effective patient care and public health.
• While not a perceived crisis in Israel, understanding professional knowledge and feelings about AIDS is essential for targeted education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the knowledge and attitudes of Israeli helping professionals towards AIDS.
• To explore professionals' views on AIDS-related education and training.
• To identify factors influencing knowledge and attitudes, including nationality, gender, professional group, and training adequacy.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered to 370 professionals (social workers, nurses, occupational therapists, psychologists, special education teachers/counselors).
• Knowledge and attitude scores were calculated and compared.
• Regression models were used to analyze predictors of knowledge and attitude.

Main Results:

• Professionals' knowledge scores significantly exceeded their attitude scores.
• Jews exhibited higher knowledge and more positive attitudes than Arabs.
• Adequate training perception correlated with higher knowledge; women and Jews showed more favorable attitudes than men and Arabs, respectively.
• Nurses scored significantly lower on the attitude scale compared to other professional groups.

Conclusions:

• Significant gaps exist between knowledge and attitudes regarding AIDS among Israeli helping professionals.
• Nationality and perceived training adequacy are key factors influencing knowledge, while gender and nationality impact attitudes.
• Targeted interventions and culturally sensitive training programs are needed to improve both knowledge and attitudes, particularly for nurses and Arab professionals.