The increasing prevalence of HIV in the United highlights the need for a well-trained workforce capable of providing compassionate and equitable care. This study aimed to assess attitudes toward people living with HIV/AIDS, willingness to provide care, and associated factors among students in the health professions at a public university in the Mountain West Region of the United States. A cross-sectional design was used, and the study included undergraduate and graduate students in health sciences and allied disciplines. Data was collected using validated tools from September 1 to September 30, 2023. All students in the relevant departments were invited to participate. Out of 177 students who responded, 175 completed at least the section of the questionnaire on sociodemographic information. The mean age of respondents was 23.5 years (SD 6.25 years), with the majority being female (84.0%) and under 35 years of age (93.0%). The prevalence of stigmatizing attitudes was 60%, and 68% of participants showed a high willingness to provide care. Participants over 35 years of age were less likely to have stigmatizing attitudes compared to those 35 years or younger (AOR = 0.13, p-value 0.014). Students in higher undergraduate years were less likely to have stigmatizing attitudes compared to first year students (OR = 0.32, p-value 0.024). Students with an urban upbringing were less likely to have stigmatizing attitudes compared to those from rural areas (AOR = 0.25, p-value 0.012). Graduate students were less likely to have a high willingness to provide care compared to first year undergraduate students (AOR = 0.21, p-value 0.01). This study identified gaps in the attitudes and willingness of health sciences students to care for people with HIV/AIDS and provides evidence to inform curricular reforms.
Zahidie et al. (Mon,) studied this question.