Migration and knowledge of AIDS in the rural Cameroon environment: comparison between men and women
De Loenzien, M.; Parizot, I.
Recherches Feministes 8(1): 111-132
1995
ISSN/ISBN: 0838-4479 PMID: 12320141 Document Number: 296568
Individual interviews conducted during 1992-93 with 772 women 14-49 years old and 637 men 18-55 years old in 5 villages of Kadey Department in eastern Cameroon, where AIDS seroprevalence has been increasing rapidly, were the basis for this analysis of the relationship between migration and knowledge of AIDS. The 5 villages were of varying size, ethnic composition, religion, economic structure, and migratory pattern. 3/4 of both men and women had migrated for at least 6 months at some time, but the men migrated more frequently and were more likely to migrate to an urban area. 53% of men and 31% of women had spent at least 6 months in an urban area. 85% of men but only 68% of women knew about AIDS. 62% of men and 51% of women had correct knowledge of AIDS transmission. 33% of men and 16% of women knew about the protective role of condoms. Bivariate and multivariate analysis indicate that migration, differences between men and women, and interactions between the 2 types of variables are determinants of knowledge about AIDS. Multivariate analysis was used to study the relative influence of having or not having migrated, migrating to an urban or to a rural area, and number of migrations on knowledge of AIDS for men and women. Knowledge of the existence of AIDS was significantly affected by urban migration and by the interaction between sex and having migrated. A man who had migrated had almost 4 times the probability of knowing about AIDS as a woman who had never migrated. None of the factors concerning migration history or sex had a significant influence on correct knowledge of AIDS transmission. Migration increased both correct and erroneous knowledge of transmission. The fact of being a man tripled the probability of knowing about the protective role of condoms, while having migrated several times or having migrated to urban areas nearly doubled the probability.