AJPH
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

AJPH First Look, published online ahead of print Jan 31, 2006
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
AJPH.2004.054742v1
96/3/561    most recent
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Purchase Article
Right arrow View Shopping Cart
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (3)
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Des Jarlais, D. C.
Right arrow Articles by Vlahov, D.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Des Jarlais, D. C.
Right arrow Articles by Vlahov, D.
Related Collections
Right arrow Epidemiology
Right arrow HIV/AIDS
Right arrow Prevention
Right arrow Drugs
March 2006, Vol 96, No. 3 | American Journal of Public Health 561-567
© 2006 American Public Health Association
DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2004.054742

RESEARCH AND PRACTICE

Stigmatization of Newly Emerging Infectious Diseases: AIDS and SARS

Don C. Des Jarlais, PhD, Sandro Galea, MD, Melissa Tracy, BA, Susan Tross, PhD and David Vlahov, PhD

Don C. Des Jarlais and Susan Tross are with Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, NY. Sandro Galea, Melissa Tracy, and David Vlahov are with the New York Academy of Medicine, New York, NY.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Don C. Des Jarlais, PhD, Beth Israel Medical Center, 160 Water St, 24th floor, New York, NY 10038 (e-mail: dcdesjarla{at}aol.com).

Objectives. We assessed relationships between sociodemographic characteristics and mental health status and knowledge of, being worried about, and stigmatization of 2 emerging infectious diseases: AIDS and SARS.

Methods. We conducted a random-digit-dialed survey of 928 residents of the New York City metropolitan area as part of a study of the effects of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Questions added for this study concerned respondents’ knowledge of, worry about, and support of stigmatizing actions to control AIDS and SARS.

Results. In general, respondents with greater personal resources (income, education, social support) and better mental health status had more knowledge, were less worried, and were less likely to stigmatize. This pattern held for both AIDS and SARS.

Conclusions. Personal resources and mental health factors are likely to influence the public’s ability to learn about, rationally appraise the threat of, and minimize stigmatization of emerging infectious diseases such as AIDS and SARS.






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2006 by the American Public Health Association