Impact of Health Interventions on the Knowledge, Perception, Attitude, and Misconception of HIV Infection in an African Rural Community

ABSTRACT Background: Adequate knowledge of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), its modes of transmission, and methods of prevention can facilitate its prevention and control among any people. This study evaluates the impact of health interventions on the knowledge, perception, attitude, and misconception of HIV infection in Bonny Kingdom of Rivers State, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This is a quantitative survey that used a structured questionnaire to determine the impact of community-based interventions (awareness education, free counseling and testing, etc.) on the prevention of HIV/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDs) among a representative sample of the general population aged 15 to 49 years in Bonny Island, Nigeria. The data obtained include the demographics; age, sex, education, occupation, marital status, and sexual-related information. Data were analyzed by using SPSS, version 25.0. Result: The study comprised 1215 participants in each of the pre- and postintervention surveys. Before intervention, only 47.2% could correctly identify three transmission routes of HIV, as compared with 82.8% after the interventions ( P < 0.0001). The intervention participants were 5.37 (95% CI. 4.46–6.48) more likely to have good knowledge of HIV transmission routes than respondents without interventions. The odds of misconception about HIV transmission routes before intervention were 3.52 (95% CI 2.48–5.01; P < 0.0001). About 80.7% and 45.9% believed that they were not at risk of contracting HIV at the baseline and postinterventions, respectively. Postintervention respondents were 4.04 (95% CI 3.41–4.79; P < 0.0001) willing to share meals, 4.84 (95% CI 3.94–5.94) willing to care for, 3.73 (95% CI 3.14–4.44) willing to allow teachers infected with HIV in school, and 3.14 (95% CI 2.60–7.80) willing to buy food from an infected person as compared with the preinterventions survey ( P < 0.0001). Conclusion: This study has demonstrated the positive impacts of community-based intervention programs on the knowledge, prevention methods, and levels of misconception of HIV in Bonny Kingdom. Similar interventions are needed in other rural communities to promote the quest to end HIV/ AIDS by the year 2030.