The relationships among social support and quality of life in persons living with HIV/AIDS in Jiangxi and Zhejiang provinces, China

Abstract

Several empirical studies, particularly those conducted in developed countries, have linked social support to quality of life among persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWA). However, few studies have been conducted in developing countries, such as China; therefore, the question of any association being present between social support and quality of life in PLWA in China remains unanswered. This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted to examine the relationships between social support and quality of life among PLWA in the Jiangxi and Zhejiang provinces of China. A total of 377 PLWA participated in this study, and questionnaires used included demographics, the Chinese Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36, and a Social Support Rating Scale, all of which were collected through face-to-face interviews between 1 March and 15 April 2013 in six different County Centers of Disease Control and Prevention in Jiangxi and Zhejiang provinces, and one hospital in the Jiangxi. The health-related quality of life score was 64.7 ± 13.5 (out of a total score of 100), which was significantly lower than the national norm level of 78.2 ± 15.9. The total score of social support was 29.4 ± 7.8 (full score 66). The canonical correlation between social support and quality of participants' lives was shown to be statistically significant (p < 0.0001). The relationship between subjective support and quality of life among PLWA was also significant (p = 0.004). Subjective support and the use of social support showed a positive correlation with vitality, role-physical, and role-emotional, and a negative correlation with body pain. The current study suggests that PLWA with lower social support have diminished quality of life.

Keywords:

• HIV/AIDS
• social support
• quality of life
• canonical correlation
• Jiangxi
• Zhejiang

Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance and cooperation from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention of Anyuan, Shangli, and Luxi counties of Pingxiang city, Jiangxi province and Dinghai, Putuo, and Shengsi counties of Zhoushan city, Zhejiang province.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria programs [grant number CSO-2012-yan01], School of Public Health, Nanchang University, and Office of Public Health Studies at John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii.