Regional Variations in HIV/AIDS Knowledge Among Women of Reproductive Age in Nigeria: A Comparative Analysis
Abstract:
Despite various
efforts to curb the spread of HIV, significantly disparities remain,
particularly a challenge among women of reproductive age in Nigeria. This study
aims to assess the regional differential in comprehensive knowledge of HIV/AIDS
among women aged 15 – 49 years across Nigeria. By employing a comparative
analysis, the research seeks to understand how sociodemographic factors,
including age, marital status, educational level, place of residence, and
wealth index influence comprehensive knowledge of HIV/AIDS across region. The
study employed data from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey.
Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data and logistic regression
was then used to determine factors that influenced the level of HIV knowledge
among women of reproductive age. A total of 8,061 women were included in this
study. The result showed that the prevalence of comprehensive knowledge of
HIV/AIDS was higher (more than 50%) in South East (60.5%), North West (55.5%)
and the South West (51.7%) and lower (less than 50%) in North East (36.7%),
North Central (41.4%) and South-South (42.2%). Age, place of residence,
religion, marital status, educational level, employment status and wealth index
and exposure to media and health care services were statistically significant
factors associated with comprehensive knowledge of HIV (p<0.05). The study
reveals that HIV knowledge considerably varies significantly across regions for
Nigerian women of reproductive age. These findings indicate, therefore, the
need to enhance HIV/AIDS education and prevention activities by developing
relevant and practical strategies to reach the regions having poor
comprehensive knowledge of HIV/AIDS.
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