Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39272072›Full record

ArticleBMC medical education2024

Knowledge, attitudes and beliefs regarding HIV among medical students in Zagreb, Croatia.

Dominik Ljubas, Hana Škornjak, Ivana Božičević

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC medical education, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Dominik LjubasDepartment for Pediatric Infectious Diseases, University Clinic for Infectious Diseases 'Dr. Fran Mihaljević', Mirogojska 8, Zagreb, 10 000, Croatia. dominikljubas@yahoo.com.
Hana ŠkornjakTeaching Institute for Public Health 'Dr. Andrija Štampar', Mirogojska 16, Zagreb, 10000, Croatia.
Ivana BožičevićWHO Collaborating Centre for HIV Strategic Information, Andrija Štampar School of Public Health, Rockefeller Street 4, Zagreb, 10 000, Croatia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMedical students, as future health-care providers (HCPs) play a significant role in shaping attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and should possess adequate knowledge of this infection. The study aim was to assess knowledge about HIV among medical students of the University of Zagreb School of Medicine, and to determine the level of discriminatory attitudes towards PLWHA.

methodsWe assessed knowledge about epidemiology, treatment, and prevention of HIV by using closed-ended and multiple-choice questions. Likert-scale questions were employed to determine attitudes towards PLWHA. Bivariate and multivariate ordinal logistic regression was used to assess correlates of certain discriminatory attitudes.

results561 medical students participated, with 46.7% attending preclinical courses. Overall, 42.1% of students think they received sufficient information on HIV/AIDS during elementary and high school education. Among clinical students, 42.6%, 20.8% and 11.8% estimated accurately transmission risk after a needle injury, unprotected vaginal, and anal intercourse, respectively. 66.8% of clinical students were aware that treatment can prevent AIDS, while 58.7% and 69.8% were familiar with the rationale of using pre-exposure (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). In the multivariate analysis, individuals lacking infectology course attendance (aOR = 1.45; CI: 1.00-2.09) and those unaware of transmission routes (aOR = 1.49; CI: 1.06-2.09) showed higher odds of advocating HIV status disclosure compared to those who did not yet attend an infectology course. Students supporting extra protection for handling PLWHA bodily fluids were more likely to support refusal to treat PLWHA (aOR = 1.80; CI: 1.22-2.69) compared to those who did not support that opinion. Males were more inclined to state that they would refuse to treat PLWHA (aOR = 1.66; CI: 1.11-2.50) and disclose their HIV status (aOR = 1.62; CI: 1.17-2.27) than females. Overestimating needle injury transmission risk raised treatment refusal likelihood (aOR = 2.22; CI = 1.29-3.92) compared to those accurately informed of this risk.

conclusionResults indicate lack of knowledge of HIV transmission risks after specific exposures and about PrEP, PEP and treatment effectiveness. Gender and knowledge about HIV transmission risks influence students' attitudes towards PLWHA. Medical education should be focused on fostering correct attitudes and addressing stigma, which undermines prevention and treatment outcomes of PLWHA.

Indexed as

Health Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeHIV InfectionsStudents, MedicalAdultAttitude of Health PersonnelCroatiaFemaleHumansMaleSurveys and QuestionnairesYoung AdultAttitudesHIVKnowledgeMedical studentsPLWHAPrevention

Identifiers

PMID39272072
PMCPMC11401420

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.