Knowledge and risk perceptions about HIV/AIDS among Nepalese migrants in Gulf countries: A cross-sectional study

Suresh Joshi; Gordon J. Prescott; Padam Simkhada; Narayan Sharma; Yagya M. Bhurtyal

Knowledge and risk perceptions about HIV/AIDS among Nepalese migrants in Gulf countries: A cross-sectional study

Suresh Joshi^*, Gordon J. Prescott, Padam Simkhada, Narayan Sharma, Yagya M. Bhurtyal

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

6 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background: Migration is considered as one of the major risk factor for HIV/AIDS transmission. Inadequate knowledge and misconceptions about HIV/AIDS transmission are still the major challenges in developing countries.

Aim: This study aimed to explore the knowledge and risk perceptions about HIV/AIDS among a sample of Nepalese migrants working in three Gulf countries.

Method and Material: A cross-sectional study was performed among a sample of 408 adult Nepalese migrants who had a work experience of at least six months in one of the three Gulf countries, (Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates). An interview-based questionnaire was used to obtain the information from these migrant workers.

Results: The respondents in this study were from different parts of Nepal and the majority were adult males, most frequently of age 26-35. More than half of the respondents were involved in construction related works. The majority of the respondents were aware that HIV virus is transmitted through sexual intercourse without using condoms and having sex with many people. The most prevalent misconceptions about HIV/AIDS transmission was that a person can get HIV/AIDS from a mosquito bite. More than a quarter of the respondents perceived that they were not at risk of being infected with HIV/AIDS due to their sexual activities.

Conclusions: There is still a lack of adequate awareness and risk perceptions about HIV/AIDS among some of the Nepalese migrants. We can suggest to government of Nepal and employers to provide proper preventive health information regarding HIV/AIDS to migrant workers in both home and destination countries

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	350-360
Number of pages	11
Journal	Health Science Journal
Volume	8
Issue number	3
Publication status	Published - 2014

Bibliographical note

We are grateful to all the respondents who participated in this study. We would like to express thanks to all of the interviewers for their hard work during administration of the questionnaire. We are also grateful to the immigration officers and hotel owners who showed good cooperation and support during data collection in Nepal. We would also like to thank the University of Aberdeen for providing a small grant fund to support the field trip to Nepal for data collection.

Keywords

Gulf countries
HIV/AIDS
Knowledge
Migrants
Risk perceptions

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

http://www.hsj.gr/medicine/knowledge-and-risk-perceptions-about-hivaids-among-nepalese-migrants-in-gulf-countries-a-crosssectional-study.php?aid=2653Licence: CC BY

Cite this

Joshi, S., Prescott, G. J., Simkhada, P., Sharma, N., & Bhurtyal, Y. M. (2014). Knowledge and risk perceptions about HIV/AIDS among Nepalese migrants in Gulf countries: A cross-sectional study. Health Science Journal, 8(3), 350-360. http://www.hsj.gr/medicine/knowledge-and-risk-perceptions-about-hivaids-among-nepalese-migrants-in-gulf-countries-a-crosssectional-study.php?aid=2653

Joshi, S, Prescott, GJ, Simkhada, P, Sharma, N & Bhurtyal, YM 2014, 'Knowledge and risk perceptions about HIV/AIDS among Nepalese migrants in Gulf countries: A cross-sectional study', Health Science Journal, vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 350-360. <http://www.hsj.gr/medicine/knowledge-and-risk-perceptions-about-hivaids-among-nepalese-migrants-in-gulf-countries-a-crosssectional-study.php?aid=2653>

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abstract = "Background: Migration is considered as one of the major risk factor for HIV/AIDS transmission. Inadequate knowledge and misconceptions about HIV/AIDS transmission are still the major challenges in developing countries.Aim: This study aimed to explore the knowledge and risk perceptions about HIV/AIDS among a sample of Nepalese migrants working in three Gulf countries. Method and Material: A cross-sectional study was performed among a sample of 408 adult Nepalese migrants who had a work experience of at least six months in one of the three Gulf countries, (Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates). An interview-based questionnaire was used to obtain the information from these migrant workers. Results: The respondents in this study were from different parts of Nepal and the majority were adult males, most frequently of age 26-35. More than half of the respondents were involved in construction related works. The majority of the respondents were aware that HIV virus is transmitted through sexual intercourse without using condoms and having sex with many people. The most prevalent misconceptions about HIV/AIDS transmission was that a person can get HIV/AIDS from a mosquito bite. More than a quarter of the respondents perceived that they were not at risk of being infected with HIV/AIDS due to their sexual activities. Conclusions: There is still a lack of adequate awareness and risk perceptions about HIV/AIDS among some of the Nepalese migrants. We can suggest to government of Nepal and employers to provide proper preventive health information regarding HIV/AIDS to migrant workers in both home and destination countries",

keywords = "Gulf countries, HIV/AIDS, Knowledge, Migrants, Risk perceptions",

author = "Suresh Joshi and Prescott, {Gordon J.} and Padam Simkhada and Narayan Sharma and Bhurtyal, {Yagya M.}",

note = "We are grateful to all the respondents who participated in this study. We would like to express thanks to all of the interviewers for their hard work during administration of the questionnaire. We are also grateful to the immigration officers and hotel owners who showed good cooperation and support during data collection in Nepal. We would also like to thank the University of Aberdeen for providing a small grant fund to support the field trip to Nepal for data collection.",

year = "2014",

language = "English",

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pages = "350--360",

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issn = "1108-7366",

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T1 - Knowledge and risk perceptions about HIV/AIDS among Nepalese migrants in Gulf countries

T2 - A cross-sectional study

AU - Joshi, Suresh

AU - Prescott, Gordon J.

AU - Simkhada, Padam

AU - Sharma, Narayan

AU - Bhurtyal, Yagya M.

N1 - We are grateful to all the respondents who participated in this study. We would like to express thanks to all of the interviewers for their hard work during administration of the questionnaire. We are also grateful to the immigration officers and hotel owners who showed good cooperation and support during data collection in Nepal. We would also like to thank the University of Aberdeen for providing a small grant fund to support the field trip to Nepal for data collection.

PY - 2014

Y1 - 2014

N2 - Background: Migration is considered as one of the major risk factor for HIV/AIDS transmission. Inadequate knowledge and misconceptions about HIV/AIDS transmission are still the major challenges in developing countries.Aim: This study aimed to explore the knowledge and risk perceptions about HIV/AIDS among a sample of Nepalese migrants working in three Gulf countries. Method and Material: A cross-sectional study was performed among a sample of 408 adult Nepalese migrants who had a work experience of at least six months in one of the three Gulf countries, (Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates). An interview-based questionnaire was used to obtain the information from these migrant workers. Results: The respondents in this study were from different parts of Nepal and the majority were adult males, most frequently of age 26-35. More than half of the respondents were involved in construction related works. The majority of the respondents were aware that HIV virus is transmitted through sexual intercourse without using condoms and having sex with many people. The most prevalent misconceptions about HIV/AIDS transmission was that a person can get HIV/AIDS from a mosquito bite. More than a quarter of the respondents perceived that they were not at risk of being infected with HIV/AIDS due to their sexual activities. Conclusions: There is still a lack of adequate awareness and risk perceptions about HIV/AIDS among some of the Nepalese migrants. We can suggest to government of Nepal and employers to provide proper preventive health information regarding HIV/AIDS to migrant workers in both home and destination countries

AB - Background: Migration is considered as one of the major risk factor for HIV/AIDS transmission. Inadequate knowledge and misconceptions about HIV/AIDS transmission are still the major challenges in developing countries.Aim: This study aimed to explore the knowledge and risk perceptions about HIV/AIDS among a sample of Nepalese migrants working in three Gulf countries. Method and Material: A cross-sectional study was performed among a sample of 408 adult Nepalese migrants who had a work experience of at least six months in one of the three Gulf countries, (Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates). An interview-based questionnaire was used to obtain the information from these migrant workers. Results: The respondents in this study were from different parts of Nepal and the majority were adult males, most frequently of age 26-35. More than half of the respondents were involved in construction related works. The majority of the respondents were aware that HIV virus is transmitted through sexual intercourse without using condoms and having sex with many people. The most prevalent misconceptions about HIV/AIDS transmission was that a person can get HIV/AIDS from a mosquito bite. More than a quarter of the respondents perceived that they were not at risk of being infected with HIV/AIDS due to their sexual activities. Conclusions: There is still a lack of adequate awareness and risk perceptions about HIV/AIDS among some of the Nepalese migrants. We can suggest to government of Nepal and employers to provide proper preventive health information regarding HIV/AIDS to migrant workers in both home and destination countries

KW - Gulf countries

KW - HIV/AIDS

KW - Knowledge

KW - Migrants

KW - Risk perceptions

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SN - 1108-7366

VL - 8

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JF - Health Science Journal

IS - 3

ER -

Knowledge and risk perceptions about HIV/AIDS among Nepalese migrants in Gulf countries: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

UN SDGs

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