Independent predictors of comprehensive knowledge of HIV in general population: findings from the Myanmar Demographic and Health Survey (2015-16)
Background: Myanmar has the third highest number of people living with HIV in Southeast Asia behind Indonesia and Thailand. The independent predictors of comprehensive HIV knowledge among general population are not known. Methods: In this nationally representative study, we adopted a cross-sectional design using secondary data from the Myanmar Demographic and Health Survey (2015-16). We included all women and men aged 15-49 years who participated in the survey. We have provided weighted estimates as the analyses were weighted for the multi-stage sampling design. We used modified Poisson regression with robust variance estimates model to identify independent predictors of comprehensive knowledge. Results: Of 17,622 analyzed, 3,599 (20.4%, 95% CI: 19.7, 21.1) had comprehensive knowledge of HIV. Late adolescents, those with less than a high school education, those involved in agriculture and the poorest two quintiles were less likely to have comprehensive knowledge of HIV. Conclusion: In Myanmar, comprehensive knowledge of HIV among the general population needs to be improved and we identified certain independent predictors that could be specifically targeted by the national programme.