Prevalence of HIV and other STI is high among migrant mining
workers due to factors such as dangerous working conditions, only masculine
identities existence, living away from families, desolate and in hospitable
place. This makes them known to be HIV and STI vulnerable group in different
part of the world. But, in Ethiopia they were not thought as at risk group yet.
So the aim of this study is to assess magnitude of HIV preventive behaviours
and associated factors among gold miners in Sali traditional gold mining site.
A cross sectional study was conducted to assess HIV preventive
behavior of the mining worker. The data were collected using interviewer
administered structured questionnaire adapted from other related behavioural
studies. The data was entered using EPI data version 3.1 and analyzed using
SPSS version 17. Multiple logistic regression was used to assess relationship
of HIV preventive behavior with constructs of health belief model.
A total of 393 respondents with response rate of 93.12% were
participated. All of the study participants were male 393 (100%), the mean age
of the participant was 24.0 (± 5.13SD). Less than half of the respondents
187 (47.6%) were engaged in HIV preventive behavior. Less than half (45.3%) of
them have high perceived susceptibility to HIV/AIDS; majority (62.8%) of them
has high perceived severity to HIV/AIDS. HIV preventive behavior is negatively
associated with being in middle, higher and highest income and respectively and positively associated with completing secondary,
tertiary school and self efficacy and respectively.
- The HIV preventive behavior of the mining worker was low.
- Being engaged in sexual intercourse with one sexual partner is very low,
- Consistent condom use among these mining workers was low.
- Income, educational status and self efficacy have significant effect on the HIV preventive behavior of mining workers.
Thus this population group should be understood as at risk
population at national level.
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1Mizan-Aman Hospital, Bench Maji Zonal health facility, Mizan, Ethiopia.
