“The Support Keeps Me Strong”: Social Support Among South Africans Ageing with HIV

MacPhail, Catherine; Mattingly, Megan; Minichiello, Victor; Venter, François; Brennan-Ing, Mark; Karpiak, Stephen E.

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-96368-2_7

Cited by 1 publication

(6 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…In contrast to women in Uganda, one-quarter lived with a partner, and one-quarter lived alone. When they needed help, one-third received it from their children, but nearly half said they received it from family members other than offspring or siblings, which could include grandchildren or mothers ( MacPhail et al, 2022 ). Women in South Africa reported frequent family support, but this support had a negative side: Nearly half reported being upset by their family in the past month.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In patriarchal societies, a woman may be cutoff from her husband’s family and their children after his death or a divorce ( Golaz et al, 2017 ). If women who are widowed or divorced receive less family support than men do, they may rely more on friends or neighbors, though there is typically a strong preference for support from family ( Knight & Schatz, 2022 ; MacPhail et al, 2022 ). In a qualitative study of older adults with HIV in South Africa, both men and women said they received help from adult children, but men also relied heavily on partners, whereas women got additional help from other family members, such as siblings and mothers ( MacPhail et al, 2022 ).…”

Section: Background and Objectivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…If women who are widowed or divorced receive less family support than men do, they may rely more on friends or neighbors, though there is typically a strong preference for support from family ( Knight & Schatz, 2022 ; MacPhail et al, 2022 ). In a qualitative study of older adults with HIV in South Africa, both men and women said they received help from adult children, but men also relied heavily on partners, whereas women got additional help from other family members, such as siblings and mothers ( MacPhail et al, 2022 ). Labor migration also has a gender dimension; in South Africa, men were more likely to migrate to urban areas, living apart from their families, whereas women’s labor migration was closer to home, enabling them to uphold caregiving responsibilities ( Camlin et al, 2014 ).…”

Section: Background and Objectivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Often, according to traditional gender roles, men provide material support, whereas women provide personal care to partners, parents, children, and grandchildren in the home ( Mugisha et al, 2013 ; Schatz, 2007 ; Schatz & Seeley, 2015 ). MacPhail and colleagues (2022) found, for example, that older women living with HIV in South Africa reported more responsibility for adult children and grandchildren than their male counterparts did. Men viewed their family role as providing financial support, and they accepted that their capacity to do so had diminished with age.…”

Section: Background and Objectivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Parents may also emphasize the lifelong care they have given their children to reinforce their right to receive care ( Freeman, 2016 ; Schatz & Seeley, 2015 ). Nevertheless, caregiving, especially caring for more than one person or when resources are limited, can be a substantial burden for older adults ( MacPhail et al, 2022 ; Mugisha et al, 2013 ; Schatz, 2007 ).…”

Section: Background and Objectivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Gender Differences in Social Support Vary by Environment Among Older People With HIV in South Africa and Uganda

Kaufman,

Brennan-Ing,

MacPhail

et al. 2023

Innovation in Aging

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Background and Objectives Sub-Saharan Africa is home to 3.7 million older adults living with HIV, who experience high rates of comorbid conditions. Formal services other than HIV clinical care are largely unavailable. Overall, women are the mainstay of informal social support networks, and older women with HIV may face burdens due to family caregiving expectations. Thus, it is important to understand the extent of informal support provided to older adults living with HIV, and how this is affected by gender. Research Design and Methods We examined differences in social networks, needs, social support and caregiving, and perceptions of support adequacy among women and men aged 50 and older living with HIV in Uganda (n = 101) and South Africa (n = 108), mostly rural and suburban populations, respectively. We used multiple regression to determine whether there was an association between gender and the amount of social support received and whether that varied by research site. Results Men were more likely than women to receive support from a partner. Women were more likely to live with offspring, both providing and receiving care. In South Africa but not Uganda, women received more help from family than men did. There was no gender difference in help from friends, but it was more common in Uganda. Living alone was strongly associated with less family help and more help from friends. Discussion and Implications Older women with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa tend to be more heavily involved in social support exchanges—both providing and receiving care—than their male peers, but place matters. Interdependence is high in rural Uganda, where formal services are scarce and needs exceed resources. Given the projected growth in this population, stronger formal supports are needed for communities and older people with HIV, especially those who live alone.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%