Effects of fatalism and family communication on HIV/AIDS awareness variations in Native American and Anglo parents and children.

Incorporating three analytic approaches, the present research examines HIV/AIDS awareness levels in a sample of Native American and Anglo parents and children. Descriptive analysis revealed that Native Americans, especially children, possess startlingly poor levels of HIV/AIDS-related knowledge compared with Anglos. This disparity is most evident for more subtle HIV/AIDS facts. Using an all-or-none scoring model disclosed even larger ethnic discrepancies. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that fatalism and family communication mediate the HIV/AIDS awareness-ethnicity relationship beyond the effects of socioeconomic status.