AIDS Knowledge and Attitudes of Hispanic Americans: Provisional Data From the 1988 National Health Interview Survey

This report describes various aspects of AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes and behavior for Hispanic adults 18 years of age and over and presents differentials by age, sex, education, and specific Hispanic ancestry and compares selected measures for Hispanic and non-Hispanic individuals.

Abstract

Based on data collected in the National Health Interview Survey this report describes various aspects of AIDS-related knowledge attitudes and behavior for black adults age 18 and over. It presents differentials by age sex and education for the black population and compares selected measures for black and white individuals. The report is based on provisional data from May-October 1988. Patterns of knowledge and attitudes about AIDS and HIV are essentially the same within the black population as for the US population as a whole with the greatest levels of knowledge in both groups occuring among the young and the well educated. Black and white adults were equally likely to have seen AIDS public service announcements on television but blacks were more likely to have heard announcements on radio and more likely to have read brochures or pamphlets about AIDS in the month preceding the interview. Over age 30 white adults were much more likely to feel they knew alot about AIDS/HIV and less likely to feel they knew little or nothing. For both blacks and whites objective measurements of general knowledge about HIV and AIDS varied by age and educational level. Adults over 50 and those with less than 12 years of education were less likely to identify statements correctly as true or false. Some of the most striking differences in knowledge between blacks and whites was in the area of HIV transmission. Although as likely to identify correctly activities with high risks of HIV transmission black adults were less likely to identify correctly the low or nonexistent risks associated with casual contact. While white adults were slightly more likely to have had their blood tested for HIV the proportion of blacks who had been tested voluntarily was almost twice as high. Blacks were also almost twice as likely to report plans to be tested and a much higher proportion planned to do so on a voluntary basis. Blacks were less likely to rate methods as effective in preventing HIV transmission. Blacks especially men were more likely to report themselves as belonging to a group at risk for HIV infection as well as more likely to know someone with AIDS.