Socio-economic Inequality in Comprehensive Knowledge about HIV in Malawi

Autor: Gowokani Chijere, Chirwa, Lonjezo, Sithole, Edister, Jamu
Rok vydání: 2019
Předmět:
Adult
Male
medicine.medical_specialty
Health Knowledge
Attitudes
Practice

Malawi
inequality
Inequality
media_common.quotation_subject
Psychological intervention
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
HIV Infections
HIV and AIDS
Erreygers
comprehensive knowledge about HIV
gender
medicine.disease_cause
03 medical and health sciences
Young Adult
0302 clinical medicine
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)
Environmental health
Medicine
Humans
030212 general & internal medicine
Socioeconomic status
Socioeconomic inequalities
media_common
Original Research
business.industry
030503 health policy & services
Public health
virus diseases
General Medicine
Health Status Disparities
Middle Aged
medicine.disease
Health Surveys
Social Class
Socioeconomic Factors
Health survey
Female
0305 other medical science
business
Zdroj: Malawi Medical Journal
Malawi Medical Journal; Vol 31, No 2 (2019); 104-111
ISSN: 1995-7270
1995-7262
Popis: Background Having comprehensive knowledge about HIV is crucial in the fight against HIV and AIDS, and in achieving the global aspiration of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. Low comprehensive knowledge about HIV can undercut efforts to halt the spread of the epidemic. It is important, however, to also determine if socioeconomic inequality is a factor in having a comprehensive knowledge about HIV in order to ensure that socioeconomic considerations are embedded in interventions. In this paper, the objective is to assess trends, as well as socioeconomic related inequality in comprehensive knowledge about HIV in Malawi. Methods The current study uses a non-parametric approach and the concentration index. It draws upon secondary data from three rounds of the Malawi Demographic and Health Survey (MDHS) of 2004, 2010 and 2016. Results Our results point to an increase in comprehensive knowledge about HIV over the 12-year period, from 28% in 2004 to around 44% in 2016. However, upon using the Erreygers concentration index, a wealth related inequality in comprehensive knowledge about HIV is uncovered. The poorer are less informed and the richer are better informed: comprehensive knowledge about HIV is concentrated among the rich. Furthermore, inequality in comprehensive knowledge about HIV has worsened over this period. Across gender, there is greater inequality among men than women. However, the rural-urban difference in wealth-related inequality in comprehensive knowledge about HIV dropped in 2016. Conclusion The results show that comprehensive knowledge about HIV has increased. Furthermore, it is established that comprehensive knowledge about HIV is concentrated among the wealthier in the 2004 -2016 period. Our results suggest that there should be a targeted approach in messaging and disseminating information regarding HIV and AIDS, using methods that are pro-poor.
Databáze: OpenAIRE