The effect of personal and socio economic variables on the knowledge, attitude and belief of farm workers about HIV/AIDS before and after a HIV/AIDS Intervention Programme

by Jona, Cecilie Ndeshipanda.

The effect of personal and socio economic variables on the knowledge, attitude and belief of farm workers about HIV/AIDS before and after a HIV/AIDS Intervention Programme By Cecilie Ndeshipanda Jona Superviser : Dr. S.E. Terblanche Department: Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development Degree: MSc Agricultural Extension The Primary Agriculture Education and Training Authority (PAETA) has invited People Management to develop and present a HIV/AIDS Intervention Programme with the slogan “If you know your status you can manage it.” Three farms in South Africa were selected for the HIV/AIDS Intervention Programme namely in the Northern Cape, Northwest and Western Cape Province. However, only two farms were analysed in detail namely in the Northern Cape and Northwest Province. The primary objective was to investigate the effect of personal and socio economic variables on the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of the respondents towards HIV/AIDS before and after the Intervention Programme. It should be mentioned that participation by respondents were out of free will and respondents were assured of total confidentiality. The main findings in this study include that: prior to the Intervention Programme females from Maswela in Northwest Province farming community discloses a better knowledge about HIV/AIDS than the male farm workers, but after the Intervention Programme there were no differences between male and female farm workers. After the Intervention Programme, Kalahari farming community clearly displayed a better knowledge, attitude and beliefs about HIV/AIDS than respondents from Maswela community. It was also discovered that age does not play a significant role in peoples knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about HIV/AIDS, however indications were that the younger the respondents, the University of Pretoria etd, Jona C N (2006) better their knowledge, the more positive their attitude and the more realistic their belief towards HIV/AIDS. Educational background, marital status and job status before and after the Intervention Programme did not show any differences with regard to respondents knowledge, attitude and belief within the farming communities, but when comparing the two communities, married respondents however, differ significantly from single respondents with regard to their knowledge, attitude and belief towards HIV/AIDS. An alarming aspect of the finding was that even after the Intervention Programme, 66.7% of Maswela respondents and 41,3% of Kalahari respondents indicated that they will still have unprotected sex with strangers. Statistically it was found that Kalahari farming community performed better than Maswela farming community and it was assumed that the environment, area of location and cultural aspects might have played an important role in the HIV/AIDS Intervention Programme. The most important outcome of the Intervention Programme is that 647 farm workers came forward to be tested and today they know their status and how to manage it accordingly. University of Pretoria etd, Jona C N (2006)