Parental attitudes towards children with perinatal HIV/AIDS
File(s)
Date
2013Author
Schuenke, Olivia
Lee, Houa
Advisor(s)
Wolfgram, Susan
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Living with HIV/AIDS is a unique problem because people have
to deal not only with the virus itself but also with reactions from peers
within their environment (Macek & Matkovic, 2005). The participants
in the current study were 16 parents (15 female and one male) at a
Midwestern university child and family study center. The purpose of
our study was to promote acceptance and inclusion towards people
with HIV/AIDS. This nonrandom pilot study investigated parental
attitudes about children having contact in a school setting with a child
who has perinatal HIV/AIDS. Informed by literature and Ecological
Theory, we hypothesized that this sample of parents of school-aged
children would be overall more accepting towards persons with
perinatal HIV/AIDS given their higher education levels accessing
a university child and family study center where many parents
are faculty at the university or professionals in the community.
We statistically analyzed our survey data using frequencies, mean
comparisons, and a reliability analysis. Our findings supported
our hypothesis. Implications for practitioners include starting
HIV/AIDS education early in the school environments, ensuring
maximum safety during interaction between children both with and
without HIV/AIDS, providing easily understood general education
about perinatal HIV/AIDS, and avoiding discrimination against
children or families who have family members with HIV/AIDS. We
would recommend that future researchers investigate the attitudes
of teachers, children, and parents with varying education levels
towards the virus to foster an inclusive environment for all children.
Subject
Aids
Childcare
HIV
Children