The Mediating Role of Demographic Variables in the Relationship Between High-Risk Behaviors and HIV/AIDS in the Referrals to Behavioral Disease Counseling Centers of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in 2020: A Descriptive Study

Human immunodeficiency virus/Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is an emerging disease that has a close relationship with high-risk behaviors and affected different age groups, gender, race, culture, and social and economic classes. The aim of the present study was to investigate the mediating role of demographic variables in the relationship between high-risk behaviors and HIV/AIDS.

This descriptive study was conducted using the census method on 3838 people referred to behavioral disease counseling centers of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in 2020. The data collection tool was the national software for registering behavioral diseases consultation, including demographic variables and high-risk behaviors in two groups of HIV/AIDS identified as positive and negative. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data.

According to the final model, demographic variables explain 13.46% of disease cases, but high-risk behaviors explain 44.40% of disease cases. Therefore, the explanatory power of demographic variables in contracting the disease is lower than high-risk behaviors, so demographic variables do not play a mediating role. The relationship between demographic variables and high-risk behaviors and HIV/AIDS was statistically significant (p<0.001).

According to the findings, demographic variables do not play a mediating role, and considering the significant relationship between demographic variables and high-risk behaviors and AIDS, demographic variables play a confounding role. Therefore, continuous educational programs in the field of prevention and control of high-risk behaviors will be very helpful in reducing the incidence of AIDS.