Purpose: Kaposi sarcoma (KS) remains a significant AIDS-defining malignancy in sub-Saharan Africa. In Tanzania, limited public awareness and persistent stigma hinder early diagnosis and treatment of KS. We assessed the influence of socio-demographics on knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAPs) related to KS among people living with HIV (PLWH) attending HIV care and treatment clinics (CTCs) in Tanzania.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 302 PLWH from 10 CTCs in Dar es Salaam [January–June, 2023] assessed socio-demographics and KAP among patients with KS using structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analyses and multivariate linear regression were performed to identify factors associated with KAP outcomes.
Results: Among the 302 respondents with a median age of 41 (32–50) years, 203 (67.2%) were female, 182 (60.3%) were aged 35–49 years, 148 (59%) were married, 158 (52.3%) had primary education, and 189 (62.6%) earned <100,000 TZS monthly. KS knowledge was generally low (11.6%), with up to 208 (68.9%) being unaware of the disease; higher knowledge was associated with college education (p < 0.001), attending a lower-level facility (p < 0.001) and better income (p = 0.02). Positive attitudes (70%) were common among the college-educated (p < 0.002), but less common among PLWH at lower-level facilities (p < 0.001). Practices were poor (32.8%) but improved among married participants (p = 0.046). Knowledge weakly correlated with practice (ρ = 0.13; p = 0.003) and practice with attitude (ρ = 0.20; p < 0.001), with no knowledge–attitude correlation (ρ = 0.087; p = 0.13).
Conclusion: Despite positive attitudes towards KS, knowledge and practices among PLWH attending CTC in Tanzania remain poor. Targeted approaches that consider clients’ demographics are needed to improve KS KAP.
