Some Factors Associated with High Risk Behavior Among Bar Maids in Tanzania

The aim of this study is to show how alcohol industry renders women into high risk behavior in Tanzania. Increasing HIV/AIDS prevalence rates, its impact on physical and psychosocial health is a worldwide public health concern. Engagement in multiple sex relations is hereby regarded as a proxy to high risk behavior. Intrinsic factors associated with alcohol are responsible for high risk behavior among bar maids. Understanding the factors leading to high risk behavior will help to go for appropriate interventions programs. To ascertain this, three selected areas of Tanzania, two being those with high HIV/AIDS prevalence rate namely Mbeya and Dar es Salaam, one with low prevalence namely Zanzibar to act as a control were selected. A sample of 2820 bar maids were selected from the 447 bars in three different settings of Dar es Salaam, Mbeya and Zanzibar. The bar maids were assessed through self administered structured questionnaire. Chi-square test results show that age, education background, marital status, number of children, wage rate and use of alcohol were significant at 5% level in enhancing high risk behavior In the case of those who drink alcohol, odds ratio show that they were 41.6 times (1/0.024) more likely to have sex with several men without using a condom thus enhancing risk behavior significantly. Significant predictor high risk factors are wage rate, number of children and alcohol use. Intervention of this risk behavior should be tackled by addressing the significant predictor factors.