Evaluation of the AIDS risk perception among healthcare workers in the hospital University Unit of Messina (Italy)

Abstract

The Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome HIV related, has represented, in the last decades of last century, the illness that has aroused the most interest in the world population [1-4]. All of this, not so much for the severity of the clinical picture induced by HIV infection, but because, it is automatically connected to the behavioural circles of the sexual sphere, with all the possible moralistic lapels. Many scientists have ventured in the arduous enterprise to clarify the tangled and fleeing physiopathology of AIDS [5, 6]. At the same time the media, in more a positive and effective way, has given enormous resonance to the scientific matter, through popular program sponsored by ministerial offices and popular association engaged in many educational programs of prevention and information. The contradictory ability of the media to amplify and exacerbate any problem of public attention, has had, with AIDS the most disruptive demonstration. In fact for several years, there has been a decrease in attention to the “AIDS” problem by the media, thus affecting the real interest by the general population. The consequence of all this has led to the decline in risk perception in the public [7, 8] and probably also among healthcare workers [9-11]. Therefore it would be interesting to know what remains of it among the latter, which, because of their cultural formation, should always have been not influenced by the media and should be objectively critical over every kind of given information. For this reason, the present research has been produced with the aim to evaluate, in the context of healthcare workers of the hospital University unit in Messina (Italy), what exactly is the current perception of “AIDS” risk, whether, and to what extent, their knowledge of HIV has lessened, hand in hand to that of the common people. The research started in January and went on till December 2006. The survey was carried out by handing a written and anonymous multiple-choice questionnaire to 1917 healthcare workers. The practicality of this methodology allowed to carry out the survey in the intervals of work and in moments of pause of the healthcare workers of the Hospital University Unit in Messina (Italy). The questionnaire was composed of 17 questions, 6 of which were related to the generic knowledge (transmission ways, preventive measures, biological fluid, infection, defense of personal data related to the seropositive subject, legality revelation of the seropositivity), and 11 were about specific knowledge evaluation (AIDS definition, biological samples on which it is possible to do the test, significance of window-period, surgical instruments sterilization measures, illness evolution stages, HIV transmission among seropositives, healthcare workers more exposed to the risk of infection, mandatory notification, precautionary measures for AIDS patients, correct elimination of surgical instruments and possibility of HIV testing effectuation without patient consent). Moreover, the questionnaire collected some personal data as sex, age, the interviewer instruction level, qualification, service years given and source of information about this problem, working unit. The results obtained by the analysis of the answers were analyzed by the χ2 test employing the Epi Info statistic software. A p value of < 0.05 was considered significant. The data pointed out that of 1917 healthcare workers who were given the questionnaire, 623 (34.06%) completely compiled it. The female subjects were 384 (58.8%) and those male 259 (39.7%) whereas 10 (1.5%) did not specify their sex, therefore their answers were not considered for the present study. The year range was included between the 24 and 65 years. The results obtained are explained in the Tables I, II, III, IV and in the Figures 1, 2, 3. The data obtained from our surveying allow to high light interesting issues: In the first place, it shows the insufficient will of collaboration of the interviewed subjects, considering that out of 1917 questionnaires only 643 have been completed. It is a very indicative symptom of the insufficient attention on the surveyed subjects part towards the AIDS topic, also considering that the questionnaire has been given in a way to gather the largest number of subjects, placing particular attention to the time in which it was carried out; that is during working day intervals, and meal breaks as to not distract the workers from their occupational engagements. We can only assert that the topic of our survey has not turned out particularly worthy of attention as it would have in the case of a problem relative to social and/or scientific interest. Moreover, it was evident that women represented 58.8% of the subjects who completed the questionnaire thoroughly and that is in agreement with the fact that women have always Key words