Knowledge About HIV/AIDS and its Transmission and Misconception Among Women in Thailand: A Structural Equation Modelling Approach.

PurposeAsian and pacific region countries are considered to be high risk countries for Human Immunodeficiency Viruses (HIV). There is little literature quantifying the relationship between education of HIV/AIDS and its principal socioeconomic determinants through a spatial analysis. The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge and awareness about HIV among the women in Thailand, and its direct and indirect association with sociodemographic factors including sexual education, level of education, area of living and wealth index through a structural equation modelling approach.DesignCross-sectional analysis using data from the 2022 UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS).SettingThailand.SubjectsA total of 3671 women from the 2022 MICS dataset.MeasuresKey variables included knowledge and misconceptions about HIV, sexual education, education level, area of residence, marital status, and wealth index.AnalysisStructural equation modeling was used to assess direct and indirect effects of sociodemographic factors on HIV-related knowledge and misconceptions.ResultsThe direct effect of sexual education on knowledge, transmission and misconception about HIV/AIDS is significant (β = 0.051, P = .002). The mediation effect test found that the sexual education and education indirectly affected knowledge, transmission and misconceptions about HIV/AIDS through the mediation effect of women's marital status (β = -0.068, P = .018) and wealth index (β = 0.007, P = <.001).ConclusionSexual education alone is insufficient to improve health literacy on HIV/AIDS, as other mediating factors such as education level, wealth index, marital status and area of residence are also key drivers. To achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 by 2030, it is essential to enhance HIV/AIDS related health education for women through multifaceted intervention programs that address these mediating factors.