setareh derakhshanpour; zahra yazdanpanahi; Marzieh Akbarzadeh
Abstract
Background: In recent years, for the purpose of proper planning, the quality of life has been considered by researchers and clinical experts as one of the most important outcomes of chronic diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of life and its dimensions in women and men with Human ...
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Background: In recent years, for the purpose of proper planning, the quality of life has been considered by researchers and clinical experts as one of the most important outcomes of chronic diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of life and its dimensions in women and men with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in the high-risk behaviors center of Shiraz. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we selected 224 patients (112 man and 112 woman) with HIV / AIDS from Behavioral Counseling Center of Shiraz through convenience purposive sampling method; we gathered data using quality of life Short-Form 36 (SF36) and a demographic questionnaire. Data were analyzed using a t-test. Results: The mean score of general health (55.31±17.82) (P=0.367), physical health (287.85±81.16) (P=0.168), and psychological health of women (255.40±74.80) (P=0.207) was more than those with HIV/AIDS. The mean score of other quality of life dimensions in women was more than that of men; however, no significant differences were observed in other dimensions. Conclusion: The average score of quality of life in women was better than in men, hence the necessity of promoting calm adherence to treatment.
Nooshin Zarei; Hassan Joulaei; Mohammad Fararouei
Abstract
Background: Quality of life (QoL) is a broad construct and can be influenced by many factors. Perceived stigma is inevitable in patients with HIV. Therefore, it is an important factor to understand their QoL.
Objectives: The current study was conducted to investigate the relationship between the perceived ...
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Background: Quality of life (QoL) is a broad construct and can be influenced by many factors. Perceived stigma is inevitable in patients with HIV. Therefore, it is an important factor to understand their QoL.
Objectives: The current study was conducted to investigate the relationship between the perceived stigma among HIV-positive women and their QoL in Shiraz, Iran.
Patients and Methods: In this quantitative study, 110 HIV-positive women were selected by simple random sampling method. A questionnaire was designed and used as a tool for data collection. The questionnaire included demographic information, internal stigma scale, and the ACTG short form-21 (SF-21) for measuring QoL. Data were collected from March to August 2015 and analyzed using t- test, Pearson’s correlations, and the multiple regression test with the SPSS software version 21.
Results: The mean age of the women was 37.86 ± 9.03 years. Most of the participants were infected with HIV/AIDS through sex with their spouse (78.2%). About one-third of the women had physical symptoms (29.1%) of the HIV disease. The prevalence rate of perceived stigma in the sample was 69.7%. Quality of life was significantly different in terms of employment status, emotional support and physical symptoms (P < 0.05).
Conclusions: A higher level of perceived stigma among HIV-positive women is associated with a considerable decrease in all QoL dimensions. Thus, more efforts should be considered to reduce the perceived stigma and improve the QoL of such patients.