Acculturation as a predictor of parents' and children's attitudes and knowledge of HIV/AIDS in a multicultural population.

Abstract

Social learning theory and vested interest theory are integrated to create a framework through which relationships between ethnic origin (specifically Anglo and Mexican American acculturation levels), and HIV/AIDS attitudes and knowledge in a large multi-cultural sample of pre-adolescent school children and their parents can be investigated. The initial study, investigating whether AIDS knowledge and related attitudes could be measured reliably in the sample population of adults and children across different acculturation levels, was successful. These findings lead to a reassessment of the acculturation rating scale. Using a Phi-approach to focus the scale items, the measure was successfully refined. AIDS-related knowledge differences were explored as a consequence of acculturation. Results indicate that differences in AIDS knowledge exist among adults and children of different acculturation levels; Hispanics adults and children demonstrating significant lower levels of AIDS-relevant knowledge. Further analyses were conducted to assess whether acculturation or SES is the most accurate predictor of AIDS knowledge for Hispanic and Anglo parents and children. As predicted, acculturation level is a significant predictor of differences between extreme AIDS knowledge groups for Hispanic parents and children. However, the prediction that SES is a significant predictor of Anglo parent's and children's AIDS knowledge was not supported. It was also predicted that parent's AIDS knowledge would be predictive of children's knowledge, and children's AIDS knowledge predictive of parent's knowledge level. Specifically, the results indicate that the amount of correct AIDS information exhibited by parents is more predictive of what their children know than the converse. Finally, the investigation found that the AIDS-related beliefs of moralism, blame, and perceived control over contracting AIDS is associated with acculturation.