An Assessment of the Effects of HIV and AIDS Prevention Interventions on Road Construction Workers’ Knowledge, Attitude and Practice: A Case of Athi River – Machakos Turnoff Road Project in Machakos County, Kenya

Abstract

The greatest global challenge to labour and socio-economic development is HIV and AIDS which is a public health issue. To combat this, HIV prevention interventions are implemented to protect an individual and the local community by halting the transmission of HIV through HIV education, counselling, HIV testing and Condom distribution. The HIV epidemic in the county is propagated and influenced by alcohol and drug abuse; Mother-to-Child HIV transmission; Culture, gender roles and customs; Poverty; discrimination and migrant workers engaged in infrastructure projects. The study determines an assessment of the effects of HIV and AIDs prevention interventions on road construction workers knowledge, attitudes and practices: a case of Athi River – Machakos Turnoff Road project in Machakos county, Kenya. The study has four objectives which include to determine road construction workers’ knowledge on HIV and AIDs; Establish Road construction workers’ attitudes towards HIV and AIDs; Assess Road construction workers’ HIV and AIDS prevention practices; and Evaluate effects of HIV and AIDs prevention interventions on road construction workers’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices. The study adopted a descriptive design through the collection of quantitative data to provide information on the research questions. The study population was made up of workers working in the Athi River – Machakos Turn off project with a sample size of 106. A questionnaire was developed using Microsoft Forms and administered to the road construction workers. The study findings revealed that in relation to HIV knowledge is that road construction workers are knowledgeable and well versed about sexually transmitted diseases; regarding attitudes, road construction sites were high risk areas due to some depicted negative attitudes; and in relation to practices, road construction workers on site knew about HIV testing and use of condoms. The assess of the effects of the HIV and AIDs prevention interventions was undertaken using the chi-square test for association where p-value = 0.00001 and p < .05. It stated that the HIV and AIDs prevention interventions like HIV and AIDs education, HIV counselling, HIV testing and condom distribution positively affected the HIV knowledge, attitudes and practices of road construction workers at the construction site. The study recommended that future research on the same study should expand the sample size to accommodate regional changes and variations. Furthermore, the study recommended that a panel study should be undertaken to learn the construction workers' attitudes and HIV and AIDs knowledge change trends over the construction project's life.