Stigmas, symptom severity and perceived social support predict quality of life for PLHIV in urban Indian context.
BACKGROUND
Multiple variables have been studied in relation to health-related quality of life (HRQoL), but research has not integrated the contributions of different variables in a single model that allows to compare them. This study, carried out with people living with HIV/AIDS in India, sought to develop a prediction model considering various predictors previously found to be related to HRQoL, namely sociodemographic factors, HIV symptoms, social support, stigmas and avoidant coping.


METHODS
A sample of 961 HIV-positive persons from Bengaluru and Mumbai participated in this cross-sectional study, completing a sociodemographic questionnaire along with HRQoL, HIV symptoms, disclosure expectations, disclosure avoidance, social support and internalized, felt, vicarious and enacted stigma scales. Bivariate associations were obtained (correlations, ANOVAs and t tests) and a multiple regression analysis was performed.


RESULTS
Results show that, when all variables are considered together, being married, widowed or deserted, symptom intensity, internalized stigma, disclosure avoidance and enacted stigma contribute negatively to predict HRQoL. On the other hand, being employed, good disclosure expectations and good social support contribute positively to predict HRQoL. Almost half of the variance in HRQoL was explained by this model.


CONCLUSIONS
Interventions seeking to increase HRQoL in people living with HIV/AIDS in India would benefit from addressing these aspects.
Department of Biological and Health Psychology, Psychology Faculty, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, C/Ivan Pavlov, 6, 28049, Madrid, Spain.
Helena
H
Garrido-Hernansaiz
Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, 550 16th St, 3rd floor, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.
Elsa
E
Heylen
Centre for Health and Social Sciences, School of Health Systems Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, V.N. Purav Marg, Chembur, Mumbai, Maharashtra, 400085, India.
Shalini
S
Bharat
Department of Mental Health Education, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Post Bag 2900, Hosur Road, Bengaluru, 560 029, Karnataka, India.
Jayashree
J
Ramakrishna
Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, 550 16th St, 3rd floor, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA. Maria.Ekstrand@ucsf.edu.|St John's Research Institute, St John's National Academy of Health Sciences, 100 Feet Rd, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560034, India. Maria.Ekstrand@ucsf.edu.
Maria L
ML
Ekstrand
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003661:Decision Support Techniques; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D057545:Social Stigma; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014504:Urban Health; D055815:Young Adult
HIV; India; Quality of life; Social support; Stigma