Determinants of AIDS knowledge among construction workers

Accurate knowledge about AIDS transmission is pivotal to combating the spread of HIV infection and the risks of re-infection. Using multiple linear regression, the determinants of AIDS knowledge were investigated in a survey of 512 site-based construction workers in the Western Cape. Over a third of survey participants indicated poor levels of AIDS knowledge. Ethnicity, level of education, employment status and acquaintance with an HIV+ person were significant in predicting AIDS knowledge. Gender, age, multiple sex partners in the preceding 3 months and condom use at last sex were not found to be significant determinants of AIDS knowledge. Workplace interventions by employers, whilst focusing on all employees, should concentrate their efforts on identifying and targeting those demographic sub-populations that are at greatest risk of having poorer levels of AIDS knowledge.