HIV and AIDS in South African construction: is age nothing but a number?

Abstract

Recently the South African government introduced new legislation to regulate the construction industry and, in particular, redistribute the responsibility for construction worker safety and health to include all industry participants. Consequently, the need to maintain and promote construction workers' health and working capacity has been given an increased prominence. Considering that the highest rates of new infections are reportedly occurring on the African continent, the fight against HIV and AIDS in the workplace has become an African priority. A comparative assessment is carried out on the levels of knowledge, perceptions and beliefs, and behaviours of construction workers in South Africa relative to HIV infection and AIDS. The levels of knowledge and awareness of HIV and AIDS among construction workers younger than 40 years of age (‘younger workers’) are compared with those of workers older than 40 years (‘older workers’). A regional exploratory study commenced in August 2002. Both age cohorts of construction workers generally had acceptable levels of knowledge, perceptions and attitudes on most issues relative to the disease. However, several areas are highlighted where they had deficient knowledge and attitudes or demonstrated high levels of uncertainty. Overall, younger workers had lower levels of uncertainty and deficient knowledge. There were several areas where these were common irrespective of age. These are the areas that deserve urgent employer driven interventions.

Keywords:

• HIV
• AIDS
• construction workers
• South Africa
• attitude
• behaviour

Notes

Notes:

1 It is possible to contract HIV AND AIDS by caring for an infected person although undoubtedly unlikely if reasonable precautions are taken. This response was scored as an incorrect response.

2 Ditto.

Human Sciences Research Council Study of knowledge, attitudes, perceptions and beliefs regarding HIV and AIDS. South Africa: Human Sciences Research Council (Focus Group Health Care Group, 1992; Pretoria: South African Data Archive‐ distributor, 2000)

Responses are treated as incorrect responses or attitudes where, for example, infection is possible although undoubtedly unlikely if reasonable precautions are taken.

A policy of racial segregation and oppression in South Africa entrenched in law as an instrument of government policy in terms of which access to education and economic opportunities and income distribution favored the minority White population. In terms of this policy African education was limited to those skills valuable for the maintenance of the white run economy with emphasis on basic skills learnt in the first four years at school (Ross, 1999). In 1995, 80% of black adults tested failed a test of functional literacy and numeracy.

The terms used to describe the ethnicity of South Africans have their roots in the Group Areas Act of 1950 (as amended in 1966), which contains very specific legal definitions for each group. They are used in the study merely to illustrate that the industry was not unaffected by the policies of racial segregation of the past.

This term is used to describe South Africans who are from mixed descent.

A composite score was developed from the responses as follows: i. (2n 1+n 2)/N ii. where

=correct knowledge and n 1=respondents with correct knowledge: i. 1=incorrect knowledge and n 2=respondents with incorrect knowledge; and ii. N=number of total respondents

With respect to each issue, producing a composite score between 1 and 2. The closer the score is to 2 the better the level of knowledge of HIV AND AIDS relative to appropriate sexual behaviour. For the purposes of this study scores greater than 1.80 were deemed to demonstrate appropriate knowledge and awareness levels.

The authors are currently conducting a similar study in South Africa.