title: A model for understanding the relationship between stigma and healthcare-seeking behaviour among people living with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa.
abstract: People living with HIV or AIDS (PLHIV) in sub-Saharan Africa sometimes have care-seeking behaviours that result in a suboptimal quality of life. This paper seeks to examine the role of stigma in the care-seeking behaviour of PLHIV. We hypothesise that stigma relates to the behaviour of PLHIV themselves and with societal reactions, including those of healthcare professionals. From a literature review, we identified the following as important correlates of care-seeking behavior: beliefs about pathways of HIV infection and people infected with HIV, social reactions, coping strategies, knowledge of HIV and AIDS, and self-efficacy in finding care and treatment in addition to coping with the disease. Poverty, gender, age, religion and policy were found to be moderating variables. The Precede-Proceed model was adapted to build an explanatory model of healthcare-seeking behaviour among PLHIV and particularly to explore the role of stigma in the non-utilisation of healthcare institutions.
authors: a Department of Health Promotion, The School for Public Health and Primary Care (CAPHRI), Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences , Maastricht University , PO Box 616 , Maastricht , 6200 MD , The Netherlands.
authors: Ngozi C
authors: NC
authors: Mbonu
authors: Bart
authors: B
authors: Van den Borne
authors: Nanne K
authors: NK
authors: De Vries
keywords: PLHIV; Precede-Proceed model; coping; healthcare professionals; literature review; self-efficacy; social conditions; stigma