Socio-demographic characteristics of mining workers
A total of 455 respondents participated in giving a response rate of 98.6%. Majority of the respondents between the age group of 25–34 years 220 (48.4%). The mean age of the participant was 25.84 (5.34 SD). Three hundred (65.9%) of the respondents were single in marital status. Regarding their religion 274 (60.8%) follower followers of orthodox Christianity. Concerning ethnicity, 126 (27.7%) of the respondents were Amhara. One hundred fifty (33%) of the respondents were completed in secondary school. Regarding the median monthly income of respondents was 1000 ETB, and 256 (56.3%) of them were earning less than 1000 ETB. Table 1.
Table 1
Socio-demographic characteristics among mining workers in Dima district Gambella region southwest Ethiopia November 2019
Variables
|
Frequency
|
Percent
|
Age group
|
|
|
< 20
|
26
|
5.7
|
20–24
|
173
|
38.0
|
25–34
|
220
|
48.4
|
> 35
|
36
|
7.9
|
Marital status
|
|
|
Single
|
300
|
65.9
|
Married
|
95
|
20.9
|
Divorced/Widowed
|
60
|
13.2
|
Religion
|
|
|
Orthodox
|
274
|
60.8
|
Muslim
|
90
|
20.0
|
Protestant
|
85
|
18.8
|
Ethnicity
|
|
|
Bench
|
37
|
8.1
|
Meinit
|
30
|
6.6
|
Amhara
|
126
|
27.7
|
Wolayita
|
89
|
19.6
|
Oromo
|
62
|
13.6
|
Kafa
|
93
|
20.4
|
Other*
|
18
|
4.0
|
Educational status
|
|
|
No education
|
47
|
10.3
|
Primary
|
223
|
49.0
|
Secondary and above
|
185
|
40.7
|
Income
|
|
|
less than 1000
|
256
|
56.3
|
1000 and above
|
199
|
43.7
|
* Tigre, Gurhaghe, Hadiya and Sheko
|
Knowledge about HIV prevention and the perception of HIV among mining workers
Four hundred twenty-eight respondents mentioned abstinence as the primary measure of HIV prevention. Being faithful was listed by 346 (76.0%). From total respondents, 226 (49.9%) of them had good knowledge regarding HIV prevention methods and perception of HIV while 227 (50.1%) of them had poor knowledge. Table 2.
Table 2
The frequency of correctly answered regarding Knowledge about HIV prevention and the perception of HIV among mining workers in Dima district Gambella region southwest Ethiopia November 2019
|
Variable
|
Frequency (%)
|
HIV prevention measures
|
Abstinence
|
428 (94.1)
|
Being faithful
|
346 (76.0)
|
Consistent condom use
|
252 (55.4)
|
Not sharing sharp materials
|
203 (44.6)
|
Getting health information
|
143 (31.4)
|
Treating STI
|
67 (14.7)
|
Male circumcision
|
62 (13.6)
|
PMTCT
|
121 (26.6)
|
ART for exposed individuals
|
60 (13.2)
|
ART for HIV patients
|
59 (13.0)
|
Perception of HIV
|
Withdrawal of the penis before ejaculation prevents HIV transmission
|
124 (27.3)
|
A woman can get HIV if she has anal sex with a man
|
195 (42.9)
|
Washing genitals after prevents HIV transmission
|
107 (23.5)
|
There is a vaccine that for HIV
|
82 (18.2)
|
People are likely to get HIV by kissing
|
273 (60.2)
|
HIV can be transmitted through sharing meals
|
97 (21.3)
|
HIV can be transmitted through the mosquito bite
|
107 (23.5)
|
Sources of information about HIV and its prevention
The study participants have access to different sources of information on HIV. The major source of information about HIV was radio. Figure 1.
Practices of HIV prevention among mining workers
From interviewed participants, 415 (91.2%) were sexually active. Two hundred seventy-nine (61.3%) of the respondents have practices of HIV prevention. Three hundred eighty-nine (94.6%) of the respondents were sexually active in the last 12 months. About 235 (57.3%) of the respondents had sexual intercourses with casual partners while 82(20%) of them had sexual intercourses with commercial sex workers. Two hundred twenty-one respondents (69.5%) had 2 and more sexual partners. Only 282 (81.3%) of them were using a condom consistently. Table 3.
Table 3
Practices of preventive behavior among mining workers in Dima district Gambella region southwest Ethiopia November 2019
Variables
|
Frequency (%)
|
Ever sexual intercourse
|
|
Yes
|
415 (91.2)
|
No
|
40 (8.8)
|
Sexual activity in the last 12 months
|
|
Yes
|
389 (85.5)
|
No
|
22 (4.8)
|
Sexual partners
|
|
Regular partner
|
89 (21.7)
|
Casual partner
|
235 (57.3)
|
Commercial sex worker
|
82 (20.0)
|
Number of sexual partners
|
|
One
|
97 (30.5)
|
Two and above
|
221 (69.5)
|
Condom use on last sexual intercourse
|
|
Yes
|
337 (90.8)
|
No
|
34 (9.2)
|
The habit of condom use
|
|
Consistently
|
282 (81.3)
|
Sometimes
|
53 (15.3)
|
Rarely
|
10 (2.9)
|
Occasionally
|
2 (0.6)
|
HIV test with in the last three months
|
|
Yes
|
182 (40.0)
|
No
|
273 (60.0)
|
Shared sharp materials in the three months
|
|
Yes
|
107 (23.5)
|
No
|
348 (76.5)
|
Reason for non-consistent condom use
The participated mining works mentioned different reasons for non-consistent which may be risky for HIV transmissions. The most commonly listed reason for non-consistent condom use was forgetfulness after drinking alcohol followed by trusting sexual partners Fig. 2.
Reason for not undergoing HIV testing
The leading reason listed by mining workers for not undergoing regular HIV testing was service is not easily available. Figure 3.
Attitude towards HIV prevention
From total respondents, 250 (54.9%) had a favorable attitude towards HIV prevention while 205 (45.1%) of them had an unfavorable attitude. Regarding susceptibility for HIV 241 (53%) of the respondents had high perceived susceptibility for HIV. Figure 4.
Factors associated with the Practice of HIV preventive behaviors among Mining workers
To control confounding factors multivariable binary logistic regression was conducted and the number of factors was identified as predictors of good practice of HIV prevention. Among those identified factors alcohol drinking is the one. Mining workers those don’t drink alcohol were 2.86 times likely to practice preventive behaviors than alcohol drinkers (AOR = 2.86, 95%CI:1.30–6.29). Mining workers those do not chew Khat were 2.09 times more likely to practice preventive behaviors than mining workers chew khat (AOR = 2.09, 95%CI: 1.09–4.02). Also, mining works that had good comprehensive knowledge about HIV were 1.81 times more likely to practice preventive behaviors than their counterparts (AOR = 1.81, CI:1.16–2.83). Mining workers those had favorable attitude towards HIV prevention were 4.76 times more likely to practice preventive behaviors than those with a negative attitude (AOR = 4.76, 95%CI:3.02–7.49). Lastly, respondents those had high perceived susceptibility for HIV were 2.63 more likely to practice preventive behaviors than respondents with low perceived susceptibility (AOR = 2.63, 95%CI:1.63–4.24). Table 4.
Table 4
Factors associated with HIV preventive behaviors among mining workers in Dima district Gambella region southwest Ethiopia November 2019
Variables
|
Preventive behaviors
|
COR
|
AOR
|
Yes
|
No
|
Age group
|
|
|
|
|
Less than 26
|
155
|
101
|
1
|
1
|
26 and above
|
124
|
75
|
1.08 (0.74–1.58)
|
1.55(0.96–2.50)
|
Educational status
|
|
|
|
|
No education
|
28
|
19
|
1
|
|
Primary
|
123
|
100
|
0.84 (0.44–1.58)
|
0.56 (0.27–1.17)
|
Secondary and above
|
128
|
57
|
1.52 (0.79–2.95)
|
1.10 (0.51–2.34)
|
Alcohol drinking
|
|
|
|
|
Yes
|
224
|
160
|
1
|
1
|
No
|
55
|
16
|
2.46 (1.36–4.44)
|
2.86 (1.30–6.29) *
|
Khat chewing
|
|
|
|
|
Yes
|
195
|
146
|
1
|
|
No
|
80
|
30
|
1.20 (1.25–3.20)
|
2.09 (1.09–4.02) *
|
Smoking cigarette
|
|
|
|
|
Yes
|
112
|
97
|
1
|
1
|
No
|
167
|
79
|
1.83 (1.25–2.68)
|
1.44(0.91–2.27)
|
Comprehensive knowledge of HIV
|
|
|
|
Poor
|
122
|
105
|
1
|
1
|
Good
|
156
|
70
|
1.92 (1.31–2.82)
|
1.81(1.16–2.83) *
|
Attitude towards HIV prevention
|
|
|
|
Negative
|
92
|
113
|
1
|
1
|
Positive
|
187
|
63
|
3.65 (2.45–5.42)
|
4.76 (3.02–7.49) *
|
Perceived susceptibility for HIV
|
|
|
|
Low
|
111
|
103
|
1
|
1
|
High
|
168
|
73
|
2.14 (1.46–3.14)
|
2.63 (1.63–4.24) *
|
Perceived severity of HIV
|
|
|
|
|
Low
|
115
|
103
|
1
|
1
|
High
|
162
|
73
|
1.99 (1.36–2.92)
|
1.50 (0.93–2.40)
|