Joint modelling of correlated binary outcomes regarding the misconceptions of HIV transmission: a study with reference to the tertiary and vocational education trainees in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Background: Currently, people infected with HIV are largely discriminated and discredited. Misunderstanding about the mechanism of HIV transmission has been identified as one reason for discrimination. This study assessed the socio-demographic and behavioral risk factors of the two misconceptions about HIV transmission, namely HIV is transmitted by sharing cups and plates with an HIV infected person (Myth 1) and HIV is transmitted by mosquito bites (Myth 2) among the trainees who were selected to the Tertiary and Vocational Education Training (TVET) Centers in Sri Lanka.Methods: This study applied stratified random sampling to select 955 respondents. A self-administered structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. Generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) approach was applied to find the associations between misconceptions about HIV and socio-demographic and behavioral risk factors of the trainees.Results: Level of education of trainees, family relationship, knowledge on sexual and reproductive health (SRH), knowledge about the risk of getting HIV after sexual intercourse, whether the trainee had participated in seminar or workshop on sexually transmitted diseases were identified as the possible factors to detect the knowledge about the misconceptions of HIV transmission.Conclusions: Even though the level of education among different social segments have not revealed remarkable differences in knowledge, the study convinced that the youth should be provided better awareness and education on STD and HIV through countrywide workshops and awareness programmes.

Socio-demographic and behavioural factors associated with prominent misconceptions of HIV/AIDS transmission among ever married women in Sri Lanka: An application of modelling correlated binary outcomes using a bridge distribution function

“…Second, following Wang and Louis (2003), our model parameters have marginal interpretations and hence, marginal odds ratios. A similar study has been conducted by Samarakoon et al (2020) for the awareness of misconceptions of HIV/AIDS among trainees in vocational centres in Sri Lanka, but their model parameters originally do not have marginal interpretation. Third, our study covered a large population-based study, enhancing its generality to all married women in Sri Lanka.…”

“…Many authors have addressed the knowledge of HIV prevention among adults in Sri Lanka (Kanda et al, 2010;de Silva et al, 2014;Karthijekan, 2017;Madurapperuma et al, 2018) but have not sufficiently addressed knowledge about the misconceptions of HIV/AIDS. Samarakoon et al (2020) through a generalized linear mixed model approach found that among tertiary and vocational education trainees in Sri Lanka, possessing knowledge on these prominent misconceptions is associated with their level of education, having a sound knowledge on sexual and reproductive health, and having attended workshops on sexually transmitted diseases.…”

“…However, in the cultural context of Sri Lankan society, individuals living with HIV experience a significant degree of stigmatization, resulting in various psychological and social consequences. An HIV infected individual also loses his/her social recognition, respect and acceptance (Samarakoon et al, 2020). In conservative societies that still exist in most countries in the South Asian region, including Sri Lanka, the treatment that Society accords an HIV infected person seems to depend on the social status of that individual.…”