Attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS through the EAPVVS-E: A descriptive analysis in nursing students

Abstract

Abstract Background Despite advances in antiretroviral treatment, stigma towards people with HIV/AIDS continues to exist. Nursing students, as future key players in health care, must advocate for the elimination of stigma through education, empathy and the creation of a supportive environment. This holistic approach is crucial to improving their quality of life and moving towards the eradication of HIV/AIDS.

Aim To identify nursing students' attitudes towards people living with HIV or AIDS and their relationship with sociodemographic and academic-cultural variables of the participants.

Design A cross-sectional study was performed.

Settings The research was carried out in the Nursing Degree of the Faculty of Health Sciences of the Ceuta Campus of the University of Granada.

Participants Convenience sampling was used to recruit 284 students of the degree in Nursing.

Methods Data were collected voluntarily and on an anonymous basis, using the “Attitudes Towards People Living with HIV/AIDS Scale in Nursing Students”. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed.

Results Factors 1 (Professional Practice), 2 (Social Integration) and 3 (Partner and Family) exhibited mean scores considered to be favourable attitudes (>4 points). In contrast, Factor 4, called Benevolent Stigma, had a mean score of 3.68 ± 0.97. Religious beliefs, academic year, sexual orientation, academic practices and age are considered influential variables in the different factors.

Conclusions Nursing students present attitudes with favourable scores. However, these results highlight the importance of influencing the different factors, especially in the second year of the Bachelor's Degree in Nursing in our sample. Thus, an educational intervention in this area would be necessary to reinforce the values of humanised care.