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Abstract
About a third of all people living with HIV are found in Southern Africa. Local and regional organisations work in and with communities subjected to high HIV prevalence rates. It is necessary to measure the Quality of Life (QoL) of community members affected by HIV to improve monitoring and evaluation of project impact. This study aimed to measure the QoL and to investigate the QoL scale as a rapid cross-cultural assessment tool. QoL surveys were conducted in 14 community sites in seven countries, including: Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. These communities are amongst the most severely affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the region. Face-to-face interviews, using a structured questionnaire, were conducted by teams of trained fieldworkers. The studies included 2176 participants, including 37% males. Results indicated evidence of the heavy burden of the disease. More than 30% of the households had a member who was ill for more than three months and more than 10% of the households lost a member after an illness of three months in the past 12 months. More than 35% of the households housed an orphan. Unemployment rates in the communities were very high. QoL was measured using four domains: General Health, Psychological Wellbeing, Social Relationships and Environmental factors. General Health and Environmental quality consistently rated lower than Psychological Wellbeing and Social Relationships. The QoL questionnaire seems to be appropriate in measuring QoL of community members cross-culturally. Results will enable programmes and organisations to tailor and develop projects. It will assist organisations to continuously monitor activities and its impact.
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