Relationship between HIV/AIDS-related knowledge and attitudes and attachment styles among college students

  Objective   To study the HIV/AIDS-related knowledge and attitude among college students and to explore their relationships with attachment styles.

  Methods   With stratified-cluster random sampling, 1 227 students were surveyed using self-administered questionnaire.

  Results   The proportion of secure, preoccupied, dismissing and fearful attachment styles accouted for 59.3%, 18.3%, 13.1% and 9.3% respectively.Significant relationship was found between HIV/AIDS-related knowledge and secure attachment, preoccupied attachment and dismissing attachment; nondiscrimination of the HIV infected and secure attachment, preoccupied attachment and fearful attachment; objection against risk behaviors and secure attachment, dismissing attachment and fearful attachment; fear of the impacts of infection and preoccupied attachment, dismissing attachment and fearful attachment; awareness of infection risk and secure attachment and fearful attachment.

  Conclusion   Attachment styles are closely linked to HIV/AIDS-related knowledge and attitude.