“My Legs Affect Me a Lot. … I Can No Longer Walk to the Forest to Fetch Firewood”: Challenges Related to Health and the Performance of Daily Tasks for Older Women in a High HIV Context

Abstract

Compromised health negatively impacts older persons' ability to participate in expected social roles. Researchers have published little empirical work, however, to explore these issues in HIV endemic African settings. Qualitative interviews with 30 women, aged 60-plus, in rural South Africa, provide insight into the relationship between health and daily activities, with attention to the fulfillment of social roles. In this poor HIV endemic context, older women make connections between their compromised health and their (lack of) capacity to perform the daily tasks that they view as expected of them. By expanding the conceptualization of health to include the capacity to achieve the expectations and perform the tasks expected of one, we better understand how and why health and performance of daily activities are so intricately linked in the minds of respondents. This also provides a starting point for thinking about the social and structural support needed by older persons in these settings, especially as HIV erodes familial supports.

Physical activity correlates in people living with HIV/AIDS: a systematic review of 45 studies

“…In Sub-Saharan Africa, many HIV patients are relying on labor-demanding jobs in the informal sector with no job security or compensation for lost income. Maintaining physical strength and an adequate activity level is thus of crucial importance for their livelihoods [105]. Therefore, there is a high need for exploring in particular physical activity participation correlates in Sub-Saharan Africa.…”

Knowledge produced on the health of low-income older women: an integrative review

“…South African women living in villages also supported the family more than they received support (11) . They supported through their work, making grass carpets or selling traditional beer (11) , in addition to cooking, cleaning, collecting water and firewood, plowing the land, hitting corn, and caring for grandchildren and sick relatives (11) .…”

“…They supported through their work, making grass carpets or selling traditional beer (11) , in addition to cooking, cleaning, collecting water and firewood, plowing the land, hitting corn, and caring for grandchildren and sick relatives (11) . Taking care of the grandchildren for the older women participants of the study in South Africa, most of the time, implied being responsible for them due to the loss of the "intermediate generation" that emerged as a consequence of the morbidity and mortality generated by the virus epidemic and immunodeficiency syndrome (11) . On the other hand, the study on low-income Canadian older women living alone identified that they depended significantly on informal support (family and friends) (17) .…”

“…"My legs affect me a lot… I can no longer walk to the forest to fetch firewood": challenges related to health and the performance of daily tasks for older women in a high HIV context (11) 2014 South Africa…”

Ugandan Jajjas: Antecedents and rewards of caring for grandchildren in the context of HIV

“…Prior research documented that an overwhelming amount of physical, psychosocial and financial caregiver burden has been experienced by grandparents caring for children affected by HIV in this region. For example, over the past decade, both physical and psychosocial health symptoms have been reported by these grandparents, including cardiovascular symptoms, increased emotional stress, burnout, fatigue, anger, resentment, guilt, anxiety, mental weariness and isolation (Drah, ; Grobler & Roos, ; Horwitz, Yogo, Juma, & Ice, ; Ice, Yogo, Heh, & Juma, ; Kamya & Poindexter, ; Kasedde et al, ; Littrell, Murphy, Kumwenda, & Macintyre, ; Osafo et al, ; Schatz & Gilbert, ; Sefasi, ; Shaibu, ). Most recent research has also examined the issues of HIV status disclosure (Kajubi, Katahoire, Kyaddondo, & Whyte, ) and care relationships among grandparents–grandchildren dyads (Rutakumwa, Zalwango, Richards, & Seeley, ).…”