Alexander C. Tsai|Atheendar Venkataramani
The causal effect of education on HIV stigma in Uganda: Evidence from a natural experiment
MGH Institute of Health Professions|Massachusetts General Hospital|Mbarara University of Science and Technology|MGH Institute of Health Professions|Massachusetts General Hospital
hiv highly stigmatized subsaharan africa important public health problem hiv stigma many adverse effects threaten undermine efforts control hiv epidemic implementation universal primary education policy uganda 1997 provided us natural experiment test hypothesis education causally related hiv stigma analysis pooled publicly available populationbased data 2011 uganda demographic health survey 2011 uganda aids indicator survey primary outcomes interest negative attitudes toward persons hiv elicited using four questions anticipated stigma social distance standard least squares estimates suggested statistically significant negative association years schooling hiv stigma p 0001 tstatistics ranging 49 147 used natural experiment design exploiting differences birth cohort exposure universal primary education instrumental variable participants 13 years old time policy change 136 additional years schooling compared 13 years old adjusting linear age trends discontinuity twostage least squares estimates suggested statistically significant causal effect education hiv stigma pvalues ranged 021 069 three four estimated regression coefficients positive cases lower confidence limits convincingly excluded possibility large negative effect sizes instrumental variables estimates causal interpretation overturned several robustness checks conclude young adults uganda additional years education formal schooling system driven universal primary school intervention causal effect reducing negative attitudes toward persons hiv