Abstract

MELO, Hugo Moura de Albuquerque; LEAL, Márcia Carréra Campos; MARQUES, Ana Paula de Oliveira  and  MARINO, Jacira Guiro. Awareness about Aids among elderly males and young adults: a study of the perception of this disease . Ciênc. saúde coletiva [online]. 2012, vol.17, n.1, pp. 43-53. ISSN 1413-8123.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1413-81232012000100007.

The scope was to compare awareness of elderly males and young adults about aids, taking education into consideration. By means of an epidemiological, descriptive and cross-sectional study, the information of 30 elderly males and 62 young adults about the concept, transmission, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of aids was investigated by structured interviews based on a standardized and validated questionnaire. Frequency distribution, Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test, as well as Student's t test or the Mann-Whitney test were used, with a significance level of 0.05 for contingency and variance analysis. The Mantel-Haenszel test with a significance level of 0.05 and Odds Ratio with 95% confidence intervals were used to determine scholarship influence. Individual perception of good health was greater among young adults (61.3% vs 43.3% for elderly) and major sexual activity for elderly males was detected (80% vs 62.9% of young adults). Nevertheless, the elderly males declared adequate knowledge about aids less frequently (26.7% vs 80.6% of young adults); prior HIV test (13.3% vs 24.2% of young adults) and receiving orientation about aids (36.7% vs 98.4% of young adults). Elderly males had insufficient information on HIV/aids, when compared with young adults, highlighting the need to pay closer attention to the elderly population.

Keywords : Aids; Knowledge; Elderly.