title: Patterns of diagnosis disclosure and its correlates in HIV-Infected North Indian children.
abstract: This facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the patterns of disclosure of HIV positive serostatus among 145 Indian children aged >5 years. Only 60 (41.4%) children were aware of their HIV-positive status. Disclosure was most frequently done by parents [51/60 (85%)] at a mean age of 9.1 ± 1.4 years. The rate of inaccurate disclosure was high [64/85 (75.3%)]. No information regarding their illness was given to 21/85 (24.7%) children. The most common reason for non-disclosure was that the child is too young [79/85 (92.9%)]. The factors favoring disclosure were increasing duration since diagnosis of HIV infection [odds ratio (OR) = 1.46; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.11-1.93], non-perinatal mode of transmission (OR = 6.14; 95% CI 2.01-15.80), ART initiation (OR = 3.05; 95% CI 1.33-7.01), school enrolment (OR = 3.52; 95% CI 1.44-7.57) and caregiver educated beyond fifth grade (OR = 2.69; 95% CI 1.21-5.96). Detailed guidelines on disclosure are required focusing on children of school-going age with perinatal infection who are not on ART and with caregivers of low educational status.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Maulana Azad Medical College and Lok Nayak Hospital, New Delhi, India. drmalvikab@gmail.com
authors.forename: Malobika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bhattacharya
authors.forename: Anand Prakash
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Dubey
authors.forename: Mahesh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sharma
mesh_terms: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017028:Caregivers; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D030881:Disclosure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents