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https://doi.org/10.4081/itjm.2026.2490

Analysis of factors associated with comprehensive knowledge about HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention among people aged 15-49 years in Eswatini: evidence from the 2021-2022 multiple indicator cluster survey

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Published: 10 July 2026
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HIV/AIDS, comprehensive knowledge, MICS, survey logistic regression, Eswatini

Authors

Ahmed Sulaiman
https://orcid.org/0009-0005-8680-1750
Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Northern Border University, Arar, Saudi Arabia.
Abdelrahman Abukanna
aabukanna@dau.edu.sa
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7877-8299
Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, Dar Al Uloom University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Hafiz Almisbah
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3507-4646
Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Northern Border University, Arar, Saudi Arabia.
Haider Elmisbah
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2232-2540
Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, Northern Border University, Arar, Saudi Arabia.
Kamal Hamad
Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Alneelain University, Khartoum, Sudan.
Zakariya Mohammed
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4371-5711
Center for Scientific Research and Entrepreneurship, Northern Border University, Arar; Department of Mathematics, College of Science, Northern Border University, Arar, Saudi Arabia.
Sanaa Mohammed
https://orcid.org/0009-0005-5229-7322
Department of Statistics, Faculty of Mathematical Sciences and Informatics, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan.

Eswatini faces one of the highest HIV infection rates globally, largely due to a lack of comprehensive understanding of transmission and prevention methods. This study, utilizing data from the Eswatini Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2020-2021, aimed to identify factors associated with knowledge of HIV/AIDS among individuals aged 15-49. A total of 3665 respondents were analyzed using a retrospective cross-sectional methodology and survey logistics regression. The findings indicated that age, education, media engagement, and Internet usage significantly correlated with comprehensive HIV knowledge. Notably, individuals aged 30-44 had higher odds of knowledge compared to those aged 45-49, while higher education increased knowledge odds over twofold. Additionally, regular reading of newspapers and Internet usage were linked to greater awareness. The study suggests that HIV prevention programs should target adolescents and marginalized groups in Eswatini.

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How to Cite



Analysis of factors associated with comprehensive knowledge about HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention among people aged 15-49 years in Eswatini: evidence from the 2021-2022 multiple indicator cluster survey. (2026). Italian Journal of Medicine. https://doi.org/10.4081/itjm.2026.2490
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