Knowledge and attitude concerning HIV/AIDS among Iranian population: A systematic review and meta- analysis

Background & Objective: the number of people with HIV/AIDS in Iran is increasing. Populations' knowledge and awareness are crucial steps to prevent HIV/AIDS epidemic. This systematic review aimed to assess the level of knowledge and attitude toward HIV/AIDS in Iranian population. Methods: Reviewing related titles in national and international databanks resulted in 62 eligible studies published between 1998 and 2008. To explore the source(s) of heterogeneity, meta-regression model was used. Results: Due to the methodological diversity of included studies (e.g. their sampling or data collection methods) pooled estimation of the results were hard to be applied. The mean for knowledge score among 24 eligible studies (including 24,011 individuals) varied between 14.7 and 84.0 out of 100. Among those 16 eligible studies (including 11,104 individuals), the reported mean for attitude varied between 32.6 and 78.4 out of 100. Conclusion: In overall, it seems that the knowledge and attitude in Iranian population still need to be improved; however, the results from our systematic review showed a considerable heterogeneity among the results that can be originated from the diversity of target populations and/or their methodology of included studies. Planning for further targeted programs and modifying public education for more effective schemes are necessary to be emphasized, as there was not a significant change in the level of knowledge or attitude based on the included studies.