Psychosocial correlates of health-related quality of life among people living with HIV in China: the mediating role of resilience

Health-related quality of life in reproductive-age women on antiretroviral therapy: a cross sectional study in Ethiopia

OBJECTIVES

While numerous studies have explored the impact of gender on Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL), there is a lack of evidence specifically among reproductive-age women undergoing Antiretroviral Therapy (ART). Therefore, this study aims to investigate HRQOL and its associated factors among reproductive-age women receiving ART at Hiwot Fana Comprehensive Specialized Hospital in Eastern Ethiopia.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study included 418 women of ART. The World Health Organization quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOL-HIV BREF) was used to assess HRQOL. Binary logistic regression was used to determine the factors that could predict HRQOL.

RESULTS

The study found that the median age of the participants was 37 years, and the overall percentage of women with good HRQOL was 40.7%. Women who stayed on ART for more than 6 years had higher odds of overall good HRQOL (AOR 6.73, 95% CI 3.31-13.71) compared to those with a duration of 6 years or less. Besides, women having no child (AOR 25.03, 95% CI 4.93-127.06), one child (AOR 18.60, 95% CI 3.95-87.65), two children (AOR 12.89, 95% CI 3.66-45.37) and three children (AOR 3.77, 95% CI 1.06-13.34) had higher odds of overall good HRQOL compared to those with four/more children.

CONCLUSIONS

The study found that the majority of women on ART had poor HRQOL. Factors such as longer duration of taking ART, higher CD4+ cell count, disclosure of HIV status, and receiving care from adherence support teams were associated with better quality of life. Thus, strengthening adherence support teams, promoting safe disclosure of HIV status, and providing comprehensive support for HIV-positive women are required to improve their overall HRQOL.

Psychological resilience is an independent correlate of health-related quality of life in middle-aged and older adults with HIV in the Deep South

Older people living with HIV (PLWH) are at risk for poorer health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Psychological resilience may protect HRQoL in this population. The sample included 174 predominately African American PLWH (age 40-73). Results indicated associations between resilience, socioeconomic status, cognitive performance, instrumental activities of daily living, personality, and depressive symptoms. HIV factors (e.g. viral load, duration of HIV) were not associated with resilience. Adjusting for confounders, resilience was associated with mental HRQoL. Understanding factors associated with resilience among older PLWH and the translation of resilience to HRQoL may inform interventions to improve well-being among individuals aging with HIV.

A Resilience-Based Intervention to Mitigate the Effect of HIV-Related Stigma: Protocol for a Stepped Wedge Cluster Randomized Trial

Background

Despite decades of global efforts to tackle HIV-related stigma, previous interventions designed to reduce stigma have had limited effects that were typically in the small- to-moderate range. The knowledge gaps and challenges for combating HIV-related stigma are rooted both in the complexity of the stigma and in the limitations of current conceptualizations of stigma reduction efforts. Recent research has shown the promise of resilience-based approaches that focus on the development of strengths, competencies, resources, and capacities of people living with HIV (PLWH) and their key supporting systems (e.g., family members and healthcare providers) to prevent, reduce, and mitigate the negative effects of stigma. However, the resilience-based approach, while hypothesized, has rarely been empirically tested in large intervention trials, especially in resource-limited settings.

Methods

In this study, we propose to develop, implement, and evaluate a theory-guided, multilevel, multimodal resilience-based intervention via a stepped wedge cluster randomized trial among 800 PLWH and their biological or surrogate family members, as well as 320 healthcare providers in Guangxi, China with a longitudinal follow-up period of 36 months at 6-month intervals. The primary outcome will be viral suppression and the intermediate outcomes will include perceived stress and medication adherence of PLWH as well as resilience measures at the level of the individual, the family, and the healthcare system.

Discussion

The proposed study will be one of the first large scale efforts to examine whether resilience among PLWH can be fostered and sustained through a multilevel and multi-component HIV-related stigma intervention and whether a resilience-based intervention can improve clinical outcomes and quality of HIV care among PLWH in a low-resource setting. If efficacious, the intervention components could be tailored to other groups of PLWH and adapted for other low- and middle-income countries.

Trial Registration

This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, registration number NCT05174936, registered 13 December 2021. https://register.clinicaltrials.gov/prs/app/action/LoginUser?ts=3&cx=-jg9qo2.

What shapes resilience among people living with HIV? A multi-country analysis of data from the PLHIV Stigma Index 2.0

OBJECTIVE

To inform efforts to promote greater resilience among people living with HIV (PLHIV), we examined associations between resilience and factors at the individual, interpersonal and structural/policy levels in three countries.

DESIGN

Data come from the PLHIV Stigma Index 2.0, a cross-sectional survey with PLHIV, implemented from 2017 to 2019 in Cambodia (n = 1207), the Dominican Republic (n = 891), and Uganda (n = 391).

METHODS

Hierarchical multiple regression was used to assess associations between resilience and factors at the individual/interpersonal/structural-policy levels, controlling for potential confounders. Resilience was measured by the previously tested PLHIV Resilience Scale.

RESULTS

About 60% of respondents were women; mean time since HIV diagnosis was 11 years in Cambodia and seven in the Dominican Republic /Uganda. Resilience varied substantially across the six province/districts per country (all p < 0.001). In multivariable analyses, higher resilience was associated with lower internalized stigma (all three countries), no experience of human rights abuses (Dominican Republic), no food/housing insecurity (Uganda), and greater community awareness of legal protections for PLHIV (Cambodia and Dominican Republic). HIV-related enacted stigma (i.e., discrimination) in the community was associated with lower resilience in Cambodia, but higher resilience in the Dominican Republic. The set of structural/policy-level factors in Cambodia and the Dominican Republic, and individual-level in Uganda, explained the most variance in resilience.

CONCLUSION

Factors at multiple levels affect whether PLHIV in Cambodia, the Dominican Republic, and Uganda report resilience. Multilevel interventions are required to promote resilience among PLHIV, and should incorporate efforts to reduce internalized stigma and promote supportive structural/legal environments including broader awareness of legal protections for PLHIV.

From surviving to thriving: the role of resilience in meeting global HIV goals

: Advances in HIV treatment and pioneering public health strategies have yielded remarkable successes in the global fight against HIV. However, attaining UNAIDS Fast Track 90-90-90 global targets will require a renewed focus on the psychosocial aspects of HIV that too often prevent vulnerable individuals from engaging in prevention, testing, and treatment. Each step along the HIV Care Continuum can be viewed as an opportunity for positive adaptation or 'resilience', and the scientific study of resilience among HIV populations continues to grow. This AIDS supplement aims to draw attention to current conceptualizations of resilience among HIV-affected populations and to delineate factors that people living with HIV identify as critical for their ability to cope with HIV-related challenges. We also highlight innovative resilience-based interventions that are designed to help people living with HIV not only survive - but also thrive - across psychological, social, and health-related domains.