Latent class analysis of HIV prevention life skills and influencing factors among university students: a cross-sectional study.

AIM: To explore latent classes of HIV prevention life skills and identify their multi-level factors among Chinese university students based on the Health Ecology Model.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study was conducted in Shandong Province between May and July 2025.

METHODS

HIV prevention life skills, HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes toward HIV/AIDS, AIDS phobia, family support, and peer relationships were assessed using the HIV Prevention Life Skills Scale, the HIV Health Education Knowledge Questionnaire, the Adolescent AIDS Attitude Questionnaire, the Multicomponent AIDS Phobia Scale, the Family APGAR Index, and the Peer Relationship Scale. Latent class analysis (LCA) was employed to identify distinct classes of HIV prevention life skills among university students. Subsequent analyses, including chi-square, Kruskal-Wallis, and multivariate logistic regression, were then conducted to characterize these classes and explore their influencing factors.

RESULTS

A total of 677 university students were enrolled in the study. Four distinct latent classes were identified: the low skill group, the low risk awareness group, the low negotiation skill group, and the high skill group, comprising 6.4%, 9.7%, 19.4%, and 64.5% of each class, respectively. The low-skill group membership was influenced by gender, HIV/AIDS knowledge, family support, and peer relationships; the low-risk awareness group by HIV/AIDS knowledge, perceived HIV risk, family support, and major (non-medical); and the low-negotiation skill group by peer relationships (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Distinct profiles of HIV prevention life skills among Chinese university students require subgroup-specific interventions. Collaborative efforts between universities and public health entities should be tailored to address the unique risk and protective factors of each subgroup.