Behavioural disorders in 6-11-year-old, HIV-infected Indian children.
BACKGROUND
HIV-infected children are at risk of behaviour problems. The transition of HIV from an acute, lethal disease to survival with sub-acute, chronic disease has enormous implications for the psychosocial development and requirement for support of affected children and families.


OBJECTIVE
To study the behavioural patterns and factors responsible for psychiatric disorders among HIV-infected and uninfected children in the age group 6-11 years.


METHODS
A prospective, random-sampling study was undertaken to examine the unique and combined influences of HIV and socio-demographic characteristics on the behaviour of 140 infected and 301 age- and income-matched controls. Controls were normal children recruited from government schools. The Child Behaviour Check List was used to assess behaviour patterns.


RESULTS
Multivariate analyses comparing HIV-infected children with their uninfected peers from similar backgrounds showed more subjective distress in the HIV-infected group. Behaviour problems in HIV-infected children were reported by 80.7% of primary caregivers compared with 18.3% for controls. Psychiatric behaviour in HIV-infected children as a risk factor for HIV was also identified in a significant proportion (p<0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
By analysing behaviour, a psycho-medical team can examine the extent to which psychosocial and demographic factors are involved in causing and exacerbating behaviour problems in HIV-infected children.
Grover
Gurprit
G
Department of Statistics, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India.
Pensi
Tripti
T
Banerjee
Tanushree
T
D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000523:psychology*; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011594:Psychometrics