Legal guardians understand how children with the human immunodeficiency virus perceive quality of life and stigma. (7th July 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rydström, Lise‐Lott; Wiklander, Maria; Ygge, Britt‐Marie; Navér, Lars; Eriksson, Lars E.
• Is Part Of: Acta pædiatrica. Volume 104:Number 9(2015:Sep.)
• Page Start: 940
• Page End: 947
• Publication Date: 2015-07-07
• Subjects: Pediatrics -- Periodicals; Pediatrics; 618.92
• DOI: 10.1111/apa.13062
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0803-5253

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="apa13062-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <sec id="apa13062-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Aim</title> <p>This aim of this study was to describe how legal guardians assessed health‐related quality of life and HIV‐related stigma in children with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) compared to the children's own ratings.</p> </sec> <sec id="apa13062-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>A cross‐sectional nationwide study was performed to compare how 37 children aged from eight to 16 years of age with perinatal HIV, and their legal guardians, assessed the children's health‐related quality of life and HIV‐related stigma. Data were collected using the 37‐item DISABKIDS Chronic Generic Module and a short eight‐item version of the HIV stigma scale.</p> </sec> <sec id="apa13062-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>Intraclass correlations indicated concordance between the legal guardians' ratings and the children's own ratings of the child's health‐related quality of life and HIV‐related stigma. There were no statistically significant differences between the ratings of the two groups and gender did not have any impact on the results. Both groups indicated that the children had concerns about being open about their HIV status.</p> </sec> <sec id="apa13062-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusion</title> <p>The results of this study indicated that legal guardians understood how their children perceived their health‐related quality of life and HIV‐related stigma. The results also indicated the need for interventions to support both the children and legal guardians when it came to disclosing the child's HIV status.</p> </sec> </abstract>