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The impact of HIV status, HIV disease progression, and post-traumatic stress symptoms on the health-related quality of life of Rwandan women genocide survivors.
- Source :
- Quality of Life Research; Oct2013, Vol. 22 Issue 8, p2073-2084, 12p
- Publication Year :
- 2013
-
Abstract
- Purpose: We examined whether established associations between HIV disease and HIV disease progression on worse health-related quality of life (HQOL) were applicable to women with severe trauma histories, in this case Rwandan women genocide survivors, the majority of whom were HIV-infected. Additionally, this study attempted to clarify whether post-traumatic stress symptoms were uniquely associated with HQOL or confounded with depression. Methods: The Rwandan Women’s Interassociation Study and Assessment was a longitudinal prospective study of HIV-infected and uninfected women. At study entry, 922 women (705 HIV+ and 217 HIV−) completed measures of symptoms of post-traumatic stress and HQOL as well as other demographic, clinical, and behavioral characteristics. Results: Even after controlling for potential confounders and mediators, HIV+ women, in particular those with the lowest CD4 counts, scored significantly worse on HQOL and overall quality of life (QOL) than did HIV− women. Even after controlling for depression and HIV disease progression, women with more post-traumatic stress symptoms scored worse on HQOL and overall QOL than women with fewer post-traumatic stress symptoms. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that post-traumatic stress symptoms were independently associated with HQOL and overall QOL, independent of depression and other confounders or potential mediators. Future research should examine whether the long-term impact of treatment on physical and psychological symptoms of HIV and post-traumatic stress symptoms would generate improvement in HQOL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 09629343
- Volume :
- 22
- Issue :
- 8
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Quality of Life Research
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 91907290
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-012-0328-y