Spanish Nursing Students’ Attitudes toward People Living with HIV/AIDS: A Cross-Sectional Survey

• Main Authors: María Adelaida Álvarez-Serrano, Encarnación Martínez-García, Adelina Martín-Salvador, María Gázquez-López, María Dolores Pozo-Cano, Rafael A. Caparrós-González, María Ángeles Pérez-Morente
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-11-01
• Series: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Subjects: attitudes; HIV/AIDS; students; nursing
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/22/8672
• ISSN: 1661-7827; 1660-4601

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is still a public health issue. Human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) creates, in society, stigmatizing attitudes, fear, and discrimination against infected people; even health professionals do not feel trained enough to adequately take care of these patients, which affects the quality of care provided to such patients. The purpose of this study was to explore nursing students’ attitudes and other related factors toward people with HIV/AIDS, as well as their evolution in subsequent academic years. A cross-sectional study was performed with students in four academic years from four Spanish health sciences institutions (<i>n</i> = 384). Data were collected voluntarily and on an anonymous basis, utilizing the “Nursing students’ attitudes toward AIDS” (EASE) validated scale. The students’ attitudes toward people with HIV/AIDS were relatively positive, with a total mean EASE value of 85.25 ± 9.80. Statistically significant differences were observed according to the academic year (<i>p</i> = 0.041), in 4 out of 21 items of the scale and among students with no religious beliefs. By adjusting every variable, only the weak association with religion was maintained (<i>p</i> = 0.045).