AEGiS-15IAC: Inter and intracommunity dynamics: window to study risk behaviour.

15th International AIDS Conference

Bangkok, Thailand - July 11-16, 2004

Inter and intracommunity dynamics: window to study risk behaviour.

Int Conf AIDS 2004 Jul 11-16; 15:(abstract no. D10436)

Bhattacharya RD, Jani H, Seth R
Gujarat AIDS Awareness and Prevention (GAP) unit -ISRCDE, Ahmedabad 380 006, India

BACKGROUND: Epidemiology is inherently not in so much of the study of diseases and health in human population, as the study of health and diseases of human population. The contradiction of healthy communities from healthy individuals within a community highlights the importance of social envrionment where an individual lives. A comparitive study has been carried out on commonality and differences of the communities living in four different slum areas in Ahmedabad and how prone they are towards risk habits. Methodology: Four slum areas of Ahmedabad city have been chosen for intervention activites to mitigate the spread of HIV/AIDS/STIs. Before starting the intervention, the intra and inter community dynamics ws studied through i) questionnaires ii) group meetings iii)interpersonal communication.

RESULT: It has been noted that social ecology and vulnerability to risk behaviour depends on i)individual level factors ii) sociophysiological environment. The slum life dynamics have been classified on commonality and differences of the community and have been noted down. The commonality observed in all communites studied are that girls are not allowed to go for education and are getting married at an early age, as parents feel this is the societal norm. Alcoholism is a commonly prevalent, specially amongst the semi skilled men who had no regular job and no regular lifestyle. The attitude towards availing medical treatment is erratic and thereis non adherence to the medicine regimen. All these phenomena impel the population to one or the other risk habit. On the other hand, in the community, where education and regular income is there, life style here is more synchronised and the people here are less prone to practicing risk behaviour.

Keywords: AEGIS, Risk-Taking, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Life Style, HIV Infections, Population, Interpersonal Relations, Health Promotion, Demography, Health, Behavior, Poverty Areas, Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, Humans, Male, Female, education

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D10436