Public knowledge of AIDS in Norway 1986–1989

Abstract

The present study presents data from five nationwide interview surveys conducted in Norway between January 1986 and November 1989. The results show that the level of public knowledge among Norwegian adults of how human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is transmitted was high as early as of January 1986 (before the onset of the large scale campaigns) and that as of March 1988 almost ever adult Norwegian was aware of the proven modes of HIV transmission. However, in January 1986 substantial public confusion was observed concerning how HIV is not transmitted and only a small decrease in this confusion was observed by November 1989. The most important predictors of knowledge of how HIV is not transmitted as estimated by a multiple classification analysis were awareness of the health authorities' version of the risks of transmission (β = 0.54), confidence in the health authorities' AIDS information (β = 0.23) and education (β = 0.17). Thus knowledge of how HIV is not transmitted is mostly due to ignorance, presumably reflecting lack of exposure, awareness or retention of messages containing the correct information; and partly it is a consquence of lack of confidence in the health authorities' AIDS information. Since a steady increase in public confidence in the health authorities' AIDS information had been observed from January 1986 onwards and the controversy between ‘experts’ on how HIV is not transmitted has terminated there appears to be an improved climate for increasing public knowledge of how HIV is not transmitted and for levelling out differences in knowledge between education subgroups. However, this potential has apparently not been thoroughly utilized due to a decline in media attention and a standstill in large-scale information campaigns on AIDS.