Turkish and American Undergraduate Students' Attitudes Toward HIV/AIDS Patients: A Comparative Study

BACKGROUND. Human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a complex healthcare problem. Research has demonstrated that negative attitudes affect healthcare provision. AIMS. The purpose of this study was to compare nursing students' attitudes using the AIDS Attitude Scale (AAS). SETTINGS. A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in nursing schools in Istanbul, Turkey, and in Upstate New York (NY). PARTICIPANTS. Baccalaureate nursing students (n = 613) from both countries completed the questionnaire. METHODS. Demographic data, overall AAS attitudes, and attitudes within each subscale were compared. Analyses included frequency and percentages of the grouped variables, arithmetic means and standard deviations, t-test for independent samples, and multiple analysis of variance. RESULTS. Upstate NY students' mean total AAS scores were significantly more positive toward HIV+ patients than Turkish students'. Scores for Professional Resistance and Emotions subscales were significantly more positive for the Upstate NY students, but Fear of Contagion was not. Upstate NY students had more negative attitudes in the contexts of job risk and eating in a restaurant where the chef has AIDS; more professional resistance to referring patients and training specialists for HIV/AIDS patients; and lower tender feelings for people with HIV/AIDS (p <.01 for each). CONCLUSIONS. Improvement in students' attitudes is beneficial for promoting nonjudgmental, compassionate care for the HIV+ population.