Belief in AIDS-related conspiracy theories and mistrust in the government: relationship with HIV testing among at-risk older adults.

Publisher: Oxford University Press Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 0375327 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1758-5341 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 00169013 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Gerontologist Subsets: MEDLINE

Publication: 2009- : Cary, NC : Oxford University Press
Original Publication: St. Louis, Gerontological Society.

Attitude to Health* ; Culture* ; HIV* ; Risk-Taking*; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/*psychology ; HIV Infections/*diagnosis ; Sexual Behavior/*psychology; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/epidemiology ; Aged ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; HIV Infections/epidemiology ; HIV Infections/psychology ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Middle Aged ; Morbidity ; United States/epidemiology

Purpose: One in 4 persons living with HIV/AIDS is an older adult (age 50 or older); unfortunately, older adults are disproportionately diagnosed in late stages of HIV disease. Psychological barriers, including belief in AIDS-related conspiracy theories (e.g., HIV was created to eliminate certain groups) and mistrust in the government, may influence whether adults undergo HIV testing. We examined relationships between these factors and recent HIV testing among at-risk, older adults.
Design and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study among older adults enrolled in a large venue-based study. None had a previous diagnosis of HIV/AIDS; all were seeking care at venues with high HIV prevalence. We used multiple logistic regression to estimate the associations between self-reported belief in AIDS-related conspiracy theories, mistrust in the government, and HIV testing performed within the past 12 months.
Results: Among the 226 participants, 30% reported belief in AIDS conspiracy theories, 72% reported government mistrust, and 45% reported not undergoing HIV testing within the past 12 months. Belief in conspiracy theories was positively associated with recent HIV testing (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.94, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.05-3.60), whereas mistrust in the government was negatively associated with testing (OR = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.26-0.73).
Implications: Psychological barriers are prevalent among at-risk older adults seeking services at venues with high HIV prevalences and may influence HIV testing. Identifying particular sources of misinformation and mistrust would appear useful for appropriate targeting of HIV testing strategies.

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R34 MH089719 United States MH NIMH NIH HHS; 5K01MH085503 United States MH NIMH NIH HHS; R01 DA030781 United States DA NIDA NIH HHS; K01 MH085503 United States MH NIMH NIH HHS; R24 HD041022 United States HD NICHD NIH HHS; P20 MD000182 United States MD NIMHD NIH HHS; 5R24HD041022 United States HD NICHD NIH HHS; P30 AG021684 United States AG NIA NIH HHS; AI028697 United States AI NIAID NIH HHS; 5 RO1 MH069087 United States MH NIMH NIH HHS; P30-AG02-1684 United States AG NIA NIH HHS

Keywords: AIDS serodiagnosis; Age groups; Community health services; Prevention and control; Vulnerable populations

Date Created: 20130131 Date Completed: 20140805 Latest Revision: 20211021

20240829

PMC3826163

10.1093/geront/gns192

23362210