Factors distinguishing employed from unemployed people in the Positive Health Study.
OBJECTIVE
To identify predictors of unemployment among Australian people living with HIV/AIDS.


METHODS
A longitudinal cohort of Australian men living with HIV/AIDS.


METHODS
Participants were separated into two groups, currently working versus currently unemployed. The two groups were compared on a range of factors related to physical health, mental health and sociodemographic variables. Each family of variables was reduced to a set of best predictors, and multivariate log binomial regression was used to identify the predictors of unemployment.


RESULTS
Unemployment was more likely among those who experienced HIV/AIDS-related illness, scored higher on the Kessler scale of psychological distress and were older. There was a lower likelihood of unemployment among those who had better self-rated health, had been living with HIV/AIDS for a shorter period and who had a tertiary education.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings indicate that unemployment among people living with HIV/AIDS is best understood within a combined social and medical context. Interventions that acknowledge the differences in age and education that contribute to unemployment would improve employment prospects among people living with HIV/AIDS.
Fogarty
Andrea S
AS
National Centre in HIV Social Research, Australia.
Zablotska
Iryna
I
Rawstorne
Patrick
P
Prestage
Garrett
G
Kippax
Susan C
SC
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D004522:Educational Status; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009517:New South Wales; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D014478:Unemployment