Profiles of Risk for HIV/AIDS Among Young Malawian Adults: Understanding Behavioral Intentions

Abstract

Young adults are especially vulnerable to HIV and engage in sexual activities that expose them to the HIV virus. Although into a third decade of HIV/AIDS epidemic, few studies have examined the heterogeneity in the population of young adults at risk for HIV in Malawi. This study utilizes a Latent Class Analysis method to identify profiles of young adults at most risk for contracting HIV/AIDS to include: High Risk and At-Risk. A Chi squared test was used to determine whether class membership was associated with reported changes in sexual behavior to avoid HIV. The results indicate that of young adults who report to change their behaviors, 61.4 % were in the At-Risk Group, whereas 38.6 % were in the High Risk Group. We conclude that practice and policy measures that involve High Risk Group would be beneficial. This group would benefit from additional interventions encouraging them to change their sexual behaviors. Results from this study highlight the importance of identifying profiles of culturally formed attitudes, beliefs, and norms as a step towards targeting interventions that may decrease the prevalence of HIV/AIDS among young adults.