Date of Conferral
10-26-2025
Degree
Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)
School
Public Health
Advisor
Harrison Ndetan
Abstract
The HIV/AIDS epidemic continues to be a significant public health challenge among young people in South Sudan (SSD). Despite global efforts to curb the spread of HIV, misconceptions about HIV transmission, barriers to access to healthcare services, and cultural/religious factors that affect the epidemic persist in South Sudan, and it is not obvious how these factors interact to impact outcomes. This quantitative cross-sectional study investigated whether there is a relationship between misconceptions about HIV transmission and HIV/AIDS status and whether access to healthcare and cultural/religious factors mediate this relationship among young people (aged 18–35) in SSD. A secondary data analysis of the 2021 South Sudan Household Health Survey data (N = 2,514) was conducted. Guided by the theory of planned behavior, multivariable logistic regression models were applied to assess whether access to healthcare and cultural/religious factors mediated the relationship between misconceptions about HIV transmission (predictor) and HIV/AIDS status (outcome). Results showed a statistically significant relationship between misconceptions about HIV transmission and HIV/AIDS status after adjusting for sociodemographics [OR = 1.30, 95% CI = (1.10, 1.52), p = 0.002]. This relationship was mediated by both access to healthcare (adjusted OR = 0.25, 95% CI [0.19, 0.32], p < 0.001) and cultural factors (adjusted OR = 1.19, 95% CI [0.80, 1.79], p = 0.663). The findings of this study may improve understanding of vital factors that affect the spread of HIV/AIDS among young people in SSD. Findings can be used by policymakers, healthcare providers, and public health professionals to design interventions to help dispel misconceptions, improve healthcare access for testing and treatment of HIV infection, and improve the well-being of young people in South Sudan.
Recommended Citation
Abore, John Valent, "HIV/AIDS Among Young People in South Sudan: Assessing Misconceptions About Transmission, Healthcare Access, and Cultural/Religious Factors" (2025). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 18580.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/18580
