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. 2020 Jan;24(1):142-150.
doi: 10.1007/s10461-019-02480-1.

Gender, HIV-Related Stigma, and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Adults Enrolling in HIV Care in Tanzania

Angela M Parcesepe  1   2 , Denis Nash  3   4 , Olga Tymejczyk  3   4 , William Reidy  5 , Sarah Gorrell Kulkarni  3 , Batya Elul  5
Affiliations

Gender, HIV-Related Stigma, and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Adults Enrolling in HIV Care in Tanzania

Angela M Parcesepe et al. AIDS Behav. 2020 Jan.

Abstract

HIV-related stigma has been associated with worse health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among people living with HIV (PLWH). Little is known about how different types of HIV-related stigma (i.e., anticipatory, internalized, or enacted HIV-related stigma) influence HRQoL and whether these relationships differ by gender. The sample included 912 PLWH aged 18 years or older enrolling in HIV care at four health facilities in Tanzania. HRQoL was assessed with the life satisfaction and overall function subscales of the HIV/AIDS-Targeted Quality of Life (HAT-QoL) instrument. Sex-stratified multivariable logistic regression modeled the association of anticipatory, internalized, and enacted HIV-related stigma on poor HRQoL. Across all participants, the mean life satisfaction score was 63.4 (IQR: 43.8, 81.3) and the mean overall function score was 72.0 (IQR: 58.3, 91.7). Mean HRQoL scores were significantly higher for women compared to men for overall function (5.1 points higher) and life satisfaction (4.3 points higher). Fourteen percent of respondents reported recent enacted HIV-related stigma and 13% reported recent medium or high levels of internalized stigma. In multivariable models, high internalized and high anticipatory stigma were significantly associated with higher odds of poor life satisfaction and poor overall function in both men and women. Psychosocial interventions to prevent or reduce the impact of internalized and anticipatory stigma may improve HRQoL among persons in HIV care. Future research should longitudinally examine mechanisms between HIV-related stigma, poor HRQoL, and HIV care outcomes.

Keywords: HIV; Quality of life; Stigma; Tanzania.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Mean health-related quality of life scores by gender among adults enrolling in HIV care and not known to be eligible for ART in Tanzania
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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