HIV+ caregivers and HIV+ non-caregivers: differences in sociodemographics, immune functioning, and quality-of-life

Abstract

Objective: To examine a cohort of HIV+ study participants, who are caregivers (CGs) and non-caregivers (NCGs), to determine whether differences exist across their sociodemographic backgrounds, immune functioning, and quality-of-life (i.e., symptom distress, physical, and mental quality-of-life).

Methods: A secondary analysis of the cross-sectional subset of the population-based Collaborations HIV Outcomes Research US Cohort (CHORUS). Sample consists of 5521 HIV+ adults; median age 43 years (SD 8.7); 88.6% male; 70.7% non-Hispanic White, 17.6% African-American, and 7.8% Hispanic. Measures include the HIV Symptom Distress Scale and the SF-12. Analytical models included t-tests and multivariate linear regression.

Results: HIV+ CGs have lower educational attainment than HIV+ NCGs (p=0.02). Seropositive CGs also experience greater HIV symptom distress (adjusted p<0.006) and poorer physical quality-of-life (adjusted p<0.001) than their seropostive NCG counterparts.

Conclusion: HIV+ CGs may require different supportive services than HIV+ NCGs, suggesting a need to develop tailored interventions to address modifiable factors, such as lower education and poor physical health. Both of these factors have been associated with suboptimal antiretroviral adherence, suggesting a role for the routine screening of adherence predictors amongst HIV+ CGs. These findings may have more relevance in resource-poor settings where the prevalence of HIV is higher, with a likely growing population of informal and family CGs infected with HIV.

Keywords:

• caregiver burden
• HIV
• quality-of-life
• mental
• physical

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank scientists at GlaxoSmithKline for approving the secondary analysis of the CHORUS dataset: Anne Davis, Kristina Dziekan, Jennifer Fusco, Allan Shearer, Greg Smith, Maria E. Watson and Amy Justice (CHORUS Advisory Board Member). We also thank Adriane Gelpi from Harvard University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, for proofreading the final draft.