Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #106849

Raquel Fosados, MPH¹, Patty Pumpuang, MPH¹, and Jennifer B. Unger, PhD². (1) Keck School of Medicine, Department of Preventive Medicine, Transdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research Center, University of Southern California, 1000 Fremont Avenue, Unit 8, Alhambra, CA 91803, 626-457-4034, pumpuang@usc.edu, (2) Transdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research Center, Institute for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Department of Preventive Medicine, 1000 S. Fremont Avenue, Unit 8, Alhambra, CA 91803

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the association between westernization and HIV/AIDS knowledge and perceptions among a sample of Chinese adults. Methods: Parents/guardians of children enrolled in the China Seven Cities Study were invited to participate in a 35-item take-home questionnaire. Demographic characteristics, westernization levels, knowledge and perceptions towards HIV/AIDS, as well as other concepts of interest were assessed. Results: A total of 25,715 parents/guardians (12,988 females; 12, 529 males) participated in the study with mean age of 43 and 40 in males and females, respectively. Approximately 10% of participants thought it was important to get tested for HIV and 40% had negative attitudes towards people with HIV/AIDS. Women were more likely to report that they would talk to their 15-year-old son/daughter about HIV/AIDS. There were statistically significant differences in HIV knowledge among the seven cities (p<0.001). Participation in Western culture (standardized beta: 99.37), reading English-language media (standardized beta: 236.2), and ever visited a foreign nation (standardized beta: 15.53) were all significant predictors of higher HIV knowledge (p<0.001). When separated by gender, ever visited a foreign nation was no longer significantly associated with HIV knowledge among males (standardized beta: 4.03; p>.05). Conclusions: Our data support the hypothesis that Westernization is associated with increases in HIV knowledge. The results of this study indicate that there is a need to create culturally tailored HIV/AIDS prevention programs reflecting on the cultural environment of the Chinese people in order to curtail the epidemic.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the positive and negative perceptions toward HIV/AIDS that are held among this Chinese adult population.
• Understand the relationship between HIV/AIDS and Westernization in a country under cultural and economic transition.
• Discuss the aspects that need to be incorporated in creating a culturally appropriate HIV/AIDS prevention intervention for the Chinese adult population.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.