title: [Quality of life and AIDS from the perspective of persons living with HIV: a preliminary contribution by the structural approach to social representations].
abstract: This descriptive qualitative study had the following objectives: identify the content and structure of social representations of quality of life and AIDS for persons living with the disease and analyze the structural relations between such representations. The sample included 103 persons with HIV in a municipality (county) in northern Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. The methodology used free and hierarchical recall of words for the inductive terms "AIDS" and "quality of life for persons with AIDS", with analysis by the EVOC software. The probable core representation of AIDS was identified as: prejudice, treatment, family, and medications, with the same components identified for quality of life, plus healthy diet and work. We thus elaborated the hypothesis of joint, coordinated representational interaction, fitting the representations together, with implications for the symbolic grasp and quality of life for persons living with HIV. The findings provide backing for collective and individual health approaches to improve quality of life in this group.
authors.forename: Tadeu Lessa da
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Denize Cristina de
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Gláucia Alexandre
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Formozo
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000523:psychology*; D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011287:Prejudice; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011788:Quality of Life; D012919:Social Behavior; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult