Statistical analysis about knowledge of HIV/Aids prevention in Njombe and Tanga regions, Tanzania

This study determined how the combined knowledge of ABCD of HIV/AIDS prevention influences behaviour change in terms of condom use in high and low HIV/AIDS prevalence regions in Mainland Tanzania. Secondary and primary data were used in this study. Secondary data were used to differentiate factors affecting the risk of HIV infection in high (Njombe) and low (Tanga) HIV/AIDS prevalence regions. Primary data were used to examine the unobserved household and community level characteristics that have an effect on condom use. Stratified analysis with logistic regression and multilevel mixed effect model were used for analysis in secondary and primary data respectively. In secondary data, the risk of HIV infections was considered to be the outcome variable. The findings show the odds of women who did not know that their husbands had other women was the reason for not having sex was almost 13 and 5 times more likely to be at high risk of HIV infection than those who said the reason for not having sex was not husband having other women in Tanga and Njombe regions respectively (aOR = 12.52, p=0.003 and aOR = 4.23, p=0.027). In primary data condom use at the last sexual intercourse was the outcome variable. Makete district exhibited the proportion (28.7%) of respondents with good knowledge of ABCD than 23.4% of respondents in Lushoto district.Similarly, the odds of having higher levels of the knowledge of ABCD were significantly 1.54 greater among respondents residing in Makete district compared to those residing in Lushoto district (aOR=1.54, p=0.006) Condom use was pronounced by 37.9% and 56.3% of those with poor and good knowledge of the ABCD respectively. Respondents with good knowledge of ABCD were 1.61times more likely to have used condom than those with average knowledge of ABCD. The observed high risk of HIV infection in Tanga region may be caused by common practices of polygamy in Tanga region. Polygamy may increase the risk of acquiring new HIV infections if lack of faithfulness within marriages exists. Condom use was independent of clustering respondents at household and community levels. Combined knowledge of ABCD is a key to condom use, the better the knowledge of ABCD the higher the condom use. The study concludes that, knowledge of HIV/AIDS prevention methods should be promoted as a package not in isolation. People who reside on the same household are less likely to develop interaction on condom use between them-selves. Due to lack of objectivity on the findings, more studies on biomedical dimension of the findings need to be done as a way of verification.