Children living with HIV-related disabilities in a resource-poor community in South Africa: caregiver perceptions of caring and rehabilitation

South African Family Practice

2020

Self Cite

Background: Caregiver burden influences the well-being of children living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) who may experience disabilities as a result of the virus, comorbidities and treatment. Overall health, psychological well-being, finances, social life and the relationship with the child being cared for influence the burden of care. This study aimed to investigate the burden of care on caregivers of children living with HIV who may be experiencing disabilities.Methods: An analytical cross-sectional survey using the Zarit Burden questionnaire was conducted with caregivers of children living with HIV who were accessing care from a semi-rural healthcare setting between May and August 2019. A socio-demographic survey supplemented the Zarit Burden instrument. Descriptive statistics were used to determine burden of care and associations between the demographic profile variables of caregivers and the burden of care, with significance set as p 0.05.Results: Thirty-eight caregivers completed the survey. Although 44.7% reported no burden of care, 36.8% reported mild-to-moderate burden and 18.4% moderate-to-severe burden of caring for children living with HIV. The only significant association was between caregiver health status and burden of care (p = 0.034).Conclusion: Although the burden of care in caregivers ranged between mild to severe and was directly associated with the caregiver’s health status, the findings of this study highlight a need to assess caregiver burden in all caregivers of children living with HIV so that appropriate referral to professionals for counselling and support can be initiated. Because caregiver burden affects the care offered to children, professionals need to integrate their well-being into healthcare.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 82%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Burden of caring for children living with human immunodeficiency virus in a semi-rural South African community

Maddocks

South African Family Practice

2020

Self Cite

“…Religious involvement and family responsibility in uenced physical activity in both the men and women in our paper. Other studies in this context highlighted the scarcity of resources, including transportation and lack of employment (29)(30)(31). This has an in uence on the community, as walking becomes the travel mode of necessity.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Perceptions of Older People Living With HIV/AIDS Towards Physical Activity and Exercise

Cobbing

2022

Preprint

Self Cite

Background: Older people living with HIV (OPLWH) require significant levels of support, including healthcare and rehabilitation interventions. People living with HIV are living longer, but still experience health-related impairments that affect functional activity, participation in day-to-day interactions, livelihoods and overall quality of life. Physical activity and exercise should be included as part of the comprehensive medical management for OPLWH but often a gap exists in understanding and prescription. Our study aimed to explore the perceptions of OPLWH about physical activity and exercise. Methods: The study adopted a phenomenological, qualitative design, using in-depth interviews, to understand OPLWH perceptions of physical activity and exercise, and their need for, and access to, physical activity and exercise programmes in a community in South Africa. Results: Sixteen individuals voluntarily participated in face-to-face, semi-structured interviews which took place the healthcare facility where they received regular treatment. All participants were 50 years and older. The interview data revealed three overarching themes, namely: motivation for physical activity and exercise; barriers to physical activity and exercise; and proposed structure of physical activity and exercise. Conclusion: The qualitative nature of our study provided an in-depth understanding of the perceptions of OPLWH about physical activity and exercise. Our study highlighted the interplay between motivating factors and barriers, and the structural components of physical activity and exercise, that can possibly influence the design and implementation of a physical activity intervention programme for OPLWH.

“…Despite various levels of formal or institutional support, several studies report inadequate formal and informal social support as contributors to caregiver burden (Maddocks et al, 2020;Mashegoane & Mohale, 2016). Conversely, social support from friends, family, and the community has been highlighted as a key resource for coping and access to health care (Fried et al, 2015;Kiggundu & Oldewage-Theron, 2009;Maddocks et al, 2020;Streid et al, 2014). A few quantitative studies also show positive associations between higher perceived social support and better mental health outcomes among caregivers of children in sub-Saharan Africa (Casale et al, 2014(Casale et al, , 2015Huang et al, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Qualitative research conducted in Southern Africa highlights caregivers’ feelings of hopelessness, powerlessness, and distress, as they struggle to cope with financial and emotional hardship (Mashegoane & Mohale, 2016; Ntsayagae et al, 2019). Despite various levels of formal or institutional support, several studies report inadequate formal and informal social support as contributors to caregiver burden (Maddocks et al, 2020; Mashegoane & Mohale, 2016). Conversely, social support from friends, family, and the community has been highlighted as a key resource for coping and access to health care (Fried et al, 2015; Kiggundu & Oldewage-Theron, 2009; Maddocks et al, 2020; Streid et al, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pathways and Processes Linking Social Support to Health: Development of an Exploratory Model With South African Caregivers

Casale

2020

Qual Health Res

Despite ample evidence of the protective role of social support for mental and physical health, key gaps remain in our understanding of the pathways and mediating processes explaining these relationships in specific vulnerable populations. The author applies a theoretical framework developed by House et al. to qualitative data, collected with 24 caregivers of children living in HIV-endemic South African communities, to explore potential effects and processes linking social support to health. The data used for this analysis were part of a sequential mixed-methods research study with caregivers of children; previous survey findings ( n = 2,477) showed significant associations between more social support and better mental health and self-reported physical health. Results point to multiple pathways and biopsychosocial mediating processes possibly explaining the support–health relationship. The author develops an exploratory model to illustrate these findings, based on the House et al. framework, and discusses implications for research, interventions, and theory.