An assessment of HIV knowledge and risk behaviors among older African American adults who reside in a mid-southern city

Background: HIV is emerging as a new chronic disease disproportionately affecting older adult African- American populations. Ageist attitudes about this population’s sexuality prevent the development of targeted, age-appropriate prevention education. Few studies have focused on HIV risk behaviors and knowledge among the older African-American adult population. However, a HIV diagnosis impacts the public health system charged with providing this population with both a financial and social services safety net. Methods: Guided by the AIDS risk reduction model, a descriptive correlational design was used to determine if there was a statistical association between HIV knowledge and risk behaviors. African Americans (N = 211) who resided at independent living complexes or patronized a senior adult community center in a mid-southern city completed two self-administered surveys. The Brief HIV Screener (BHS) and the HIV Knowledge Questionnaire (HIV-KQ-18) measured personal risk behaviors and general HIV knowledge, respectively. Results: The median score on the 18 item HIV-KQ-18 was 9 (mean = 8.4). The results of the Brief HIV Screener revealed that over half of the older adults (53%) were engaging in behaviors that placed them at risk for HIV infection. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that adults with higher knowledge levels were less likely to engage in risky behaviors (adjusted odds ratio = 0.92 for each additional item answered correctly, 95% confidence interval = 0.85, 0.99). Conclusion: Findings highlight the need for age-appropriate prevention strategies. Findings may also assist public health professionals in developing need-based, age-appropriate prevention programs for the older adult population.