HIV and nutrition status are interrelated. Nutrition problems associated with HIV or its
treatment occur in nearly all people living with HIV (PLHIV) and can be indicative of the stage
and progression of infection. On the other hand, adequate nutrition ensures good nutrition status,
immune function, improved treatment outcome, and quality of life. The growing problems of
HIV and AIDS in Indonesia require health professionals, including dietitians, to mobilize for
HIV care and control. However, studies have demonstrated health care workers to have
prejudicial attitudes towards PLHIV, which may further jeopardize the quality of care.
The objective of this study was to implement the attribution theory to improve HIVrelated
knowledge and attitudes among dietetics students. It is hypothesized that given the
opportunity to revisit the antecedent of their stigma, dietetic students might be able to improve
their attitudes and emotional reactions to HIV.
Results from the cross-sectional study confirmed the attribution theory, showing that the
stigmatizing attitudes were influenced by both personal values and environmental factors. The
study also found that greater knowledge about HIV was associated with a better attitude toward
PLHIV. This and the fact that universities differed in how they educated dietetic students about
HIV, raise questions on the current dietetic curriculum in Indonesia and the teaching conduct in
each dietetic school.