HIV/AIDS-related Knowledge and Behavior among School-attending Afro-Descendant Youths in Ecuador
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21106/ijma.412Keywords:
- Afro-descendant,
- Adolescents,
- HIV/AIDS,
- Ecuador,
- Condom use,
- Risk factors,
- Epidemiology,
- Youths,
- Sexually transmitted infections,
- Transmission
Abstract
Background or Objectives: HIV/AIDS transmission in Ecuador is considered a concentrated epidemic; therefore, there are some studies on high risk groups but there is limited published data regarding the HIV/AIDS risk factors among adolescents of African descent. In this study, we sought to explore the determinants of HIV/AIDS-related knowledge and behavior among afro-descendant youths attending schools in the city of Esmeraldas, Ecuador.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey among school-attending youths was conducted in Esmeraldas, Ecuador in 2010. Our target population was afro-descendant youths attending the last two years of high school. Thirty public high schools enrolling students in junior and senior years were identified. Outcome data were analyzed in the form of three composite variables. A multivariate linear regression model was built for each outcome.
Results: A total of 213 school-attending afro-descendant youths aged 14 to 21 years old were enrolled in this study. Gender distribution was almost equal with a 1:1.17 male to female ratio. Overall, students in this population scored well in comprehensive knowledge of HIV with 88% having medium or higher knowledge.
Conclusion and Global Health Implications: Knowledge of HIV and its determinants was medium to high, but knowledge of sexually transmitted diseases was low among afro-descendant Ecuadorian adolescents in our study. Results of this study might be instrumental in facilitating decision-making processes related to the planning, implementation, and evaluation of HIV/AIDS prevention and control strategies in this specific population.
Downloads
Similar Articles
- Presley Chick Tayong, Herbert Afegenwi Mbunkah, Raphael Awah Abong, Sumelong Sharon Dione Akomoneh, Raoul Tuekam Kayo, Elvis Achondou Akomoneh, Incidence of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV and Associated Factors in Postpartum Women in Cameroon , Vol. 14 No. Continuous (2025): International Journal of Maternal and Child Health and AIDS
- Godwin Omokhagbo Emmanuel, Olaniyi Felix Sanni, Abang Roger, Paul Umoh, Ochonye Bartholomew Boniface, Amechi Paul, Ismaeel Mohammed Yahaya, Agie Muhmmad Auwal, Improving HIV Prevention for Key Populations in Nigeria: Insights on Access, Barriers, Stigma, and Service Utilization , Vol. 14 No. Continuous (2025): International Journal of Maternal and Child Health and AIDS
- Alexander Suuk Laar, Veioshnee Govender, Individual and Community Perspectives, Attitudes, and Practices to Mother-to-Child-Transmission and Infant Feeding among HIV-Positive Mothers in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Literature Review , Vol. 2 No. 1 (2013): International Journal of Maternal and Child Health and AIDS
- Amina P. Alio, Candace Sibley, Halimah S. Ouedraogo, Stephaun E. Wallace, Steven Wakefield, Damon L. Humes, Sheldon D. Fields, Michael C. Keefer, House Ball Community Leaders’ Perceptions of HIV and HIV Vaccine Research , Vol. 9 No. 1 (2020): International Journal of Maternal and Child Health and AIDS
- Akosua A. Gyimah, Emmanuel K. Nakua, Ellis Owusu-Dabo, Easmon Otupiri, Contraceptive Characteristics of Women Living with HIV in the Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana , Vol. 2 No. 1 (2013): International Journal of Maternal and Child Health and AIDS
- Brianna L. Smith, Sara Zizzo, Anouk Amzel, Sarah Wiant, Molly C. Pezzulo, Sarah Konopka, Rachel Golin, Alexandra C. Vrazo, Integration of Neonatal and Child Health Interventions with Pediatric HIV Interventions in Global Health , Vol. 7 No. 1 (2018): International Journal of Maternal and Child Health and AIDS
- Wah W. Myint, David J. Washburn, Brian Colwell, Jay E. Maddock, Determinants of HIV Testing Uptake among Women (aged 15-49 years) in the Philippines, Myanmar, and Cambodia , Vol. 10 No. 2 (2021): International Journal of Maternal and Child Health and AIDS
- Aridoss Santhakumar, Malathi Mathiyazhakan, Nagaraj Jaganathasamy, Balsubramanian Ganesh, N Manikandan, VM Padmapriya, Angel Monika, Joseph K David, Arvind Kumar, Elangovan Arumugam, Prevalence and Risk Factors Associated with HIV Infection among Pregnant Women in Odisha State, India , Vol. 9 No. 3 (2020): International Journal of Maternal and Child Health and AIDS
- Wah Myint, Aishatu Yusuf, Angela Nguyen, Elfreda Samman, HIV Testing, Household and Reproductive Health Decision-Making: The Role of Women Autonomy in a Nationally Representative Study in Cambodia , Vol. 14 No. Continuous (2025): International Journal of Maternal and Child Health and AIDS
- Margaret Omowaleola Akinwaare, Jonah Musa, Chizoma Millicent Ndikom, Determinants of Digitalized Antenatal Education Use among Pregnant Women Living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus in Nigeria , Vol. 15 (2026): International Journal of Maternal and Child Health and AIDS
<< < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 > >>
You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright © 2020 Isabel Hernandez, Vinita Sharma, Miguel Reina-Ortiz, Carlos Rosas, Tatiana Ochoa, Ricardo Izurieta, Enrique Teran. Published by Global Health and Education Projects, Inc., USA.
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , which permits others to remix, transform, and build upon the work non-commercially, provided the original author is credited and the new creations are licensed under the same terms.