Socioeconomic and Geographic Disparities in HIV/AIDS Knowledge Among Health Science Students in Guyana, College of Medical Sciences

Abstract

Background: HIV/AIDS remains a significant global health challenge, with disparities in awareness and beliefs persisting among healthcare professionals. Understanding how sociodemographic factors influence HIV/AIDS knowledge is crucial for developing targeted educational interventions, particularly in medical training programs. The College of Medical Sciences (COMS) in Guyana provides an important setting to examine these patterns, given the country's multicultural population and ongoing HIV epidemic. Objectives: This study examined how socioeconomic status and geographic residence shape HIV/AIDS knowledge among health science students at Guyana’s College of Medical Sciences, focusing on measurable disparities in transmission and factual knowledge. Study Design: This research was conducted between January 2024 to June 2024. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 269 COMS students (74.25% female, 78.10% aged 18-25). Data was collected using a validated questionnaire (Cronbach's α = 0.826) and analyzed using non-parametric tests, including Chi-square, Kruskal-Wallis, and Mann-Whitney U tests. Key variables included residence (urban, suburban, rural), household income (low, middle, high), and knowledge scores (factual and transmission). Results: Students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds had much lower scores on factual knowledge tests than more affluent students (p=0.035). Rural students suffered the most regionally, having much poorer understanding of how transmission occurs than urban students (OR=1.96, 95% CI:1.03- 3.70; p=0.013), while suburban students were middle-level. These results showed an apparent social class and urban-rural split in the understanding of HIV/AIDS among medical students. Conclusion: This research showed that socioeconomic status and geographic residency independently relate to HIV knowledge gaps in medical education. These inequalities highlight the need for transformational practices such as focused rural training opportunities, improved support for economically disadvantaged students, and curriculum changes that mitigate geographic barriers. Adopting these equity-based strategies will allow medical institutions to build an adequate health care workforce capable of tackling HIV challenges in Guyana.