Effects of health education on HIV/AIDS related knowledge among first year university students in China

BACKGROUND: The number of new HIV infections has increased and implementation of school-based health education programs on AIDS have been advocated for a long time. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of an intervention of HIV/AIDS on the knowledge of HIV/AIDS prevention and control among first year university students. METHODS: An awareness questionnaire was adopted to assess awareness and knowledge of HIV/AIDS pre- and post-health education among first year university students in Qinghai, China. Independent sample t-test, chi-square test, and multiple logistic regression analyses were used. RESULTS: A total of 2,165 and 2,062 first year university students were respectively recruited pre- and post- HIV/AIDS health education. The awareness rate increased significantly after the health education intervention (from 48.59%, 95%CI: 46.47%–50.72% to 76.24%, 95%CI: 74.35%–78.06%). Students from Hui and Tibetan ethnicities, and those holding prejudices against AIDS patients were less knowledgeable than their counterparts regarding HIV/AIDS related knowledge, whereas urban-dwellers and those with higher paternal education were positively associated with awareness of HIV/AIDS related knowledge (p <0.05). CONCLUSION: HIV/AIDS awareness among first year university students improved greatly after receiving an education intervention, which underscores its utility as part of the approaches of HIV/AIDS control and prevention.