On the limited utility of KAP-style survey data in the practical epidemiology of AIDS, with reference to the AIDS epidemic in Chile.
Health Transit Rev
; 3(1): 1-16, 1993 Apr.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-10148795
ABSTRACT
PIP: The AIDS epidemic and the associated discovery of HIV brought attention to the dearth of knowledge among social scientists about homosexuality, bisexuality, injectable drug use, and other behaviors which may place participating individuals at risk of contracting and/or transmitting HIV. To redress these gaps in their knowledge, researchers have recently tended to gather attitudinal and behavioral data through population-based KAP-style surveys and to make inferences from such data to the current prevalence and future course of the AIDS epidemic. While survey data may help expand our knowledge on the distribution of practices in a variety of populations, it is not clear that they help us understand the epidemiology of AIDS in a given population. The author argues that these unfocused inquiries into diffuse behaviors in undifferentiated populations are not productive in low-seroprevalence populations, especially when the objective is to design interventions to avert further infection. The failure of KAP surveys to distinguish conceptually between the relevance of AIDS-related behavioral data for individuals and for populations makes them fundamentally flawed for such purposes. An illustration of the AIDS epidemic in Santiago, Chile, is used to substantiate this argument and an alternative perspective is presented based upon interviews with people with AIDS and a survey of current HIV-surveillance and blood screening programs. KAP survey findings generally lead to prescriptions for mass behavior modification. Individuals infected with HIV who remain sexually active and their partners should instead be targeted by interventions to change their behavior. This approach would focus on actual social and sexual networks and the true etiology of viral contagion. In closing, the author acknowledges that his proposed approach may unjustly stigmatize or blame certain groups; contribute to a lack of unity in the fight against the virus and jeopardize supportive funding and legislation; and create a false sense of security for individuals not in the targeted risk groups.
Palavras-chave
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Americas; Behavior; Chile; Critique; Data Collection; Developing Countries; Diseases; Economic Factors; Epidemics; Examinations And Diagnoses; Hematologic Tests; Hiv Infections; Interviews; Kap Surveys; Laboratory Examinations And Diagnoses; Laboratory Procedures; Latin America; Needs; Organization And Administration; Population At Risk; Program Design; Programs; Research Methodology; Research Report; Sampling Studies; Sex Behavior; South America; Studies; Surveys; Target Population; Viral Diseases
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Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Comportamento Sexual
/
Infecções por HIV
/
Conhecimentos, Atitudes e Prática em Saúde
/
Coleta de Dados
/
Síndrome da Imunodeficiência Adquirida
Tipo de estudo:
Diagnostic_studies
/
Evaluation_studies
/
Qualitative_research
/
Risk_factors_studies
/
Screening_studies
Limite:
Adolescent
/
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
País/Região como assunto:
America do sul
/
Chile
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Health Transit Rev
Assunto da revista:
CIENCIAS DO COMPORTAMENTO
/
CIENCIAS SOCIAIS
/
SERVICOS DE SAUDE
Ano de publicação:
1993
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de publicação:
Austrália