Measuring quality of life among HIV-infected women using a culturally adapted questionnaire in Rakai district, Uganda

AIDS Care. 2004 Jan;16(1):81-94. doi: 10.1080/09540120310001633994.

Abstract

To examine self-reported quality of life and health status of HIV-infected women and a comparison sample of HIV-uninfected women in rural Uganda, we culturally adapted a Lugandan version of the Medical Outcomes Survey-HIV (MOS-HIV). We administered a cross-sectional survey among 803 women (239 HIV-positive and 564 HIV-negative) enrolled in a community study to evaluate maternal and child health in Rakai District, Uganda. The interview took 20 minutes and was generally well-accepted. Reliability coefficients were >0.70, except for role functioning, energy and cognitive function. MOS-HIV scores for HIV-positive women were correlated with increasing number of physical symptoms and higher HIV viral load. Compared to HIV-negative women, HIV-positive women reported lower scores than HIV-negative women for general health perceptions, physical functioning, pain, energy, role functioning, social functioning, mental health and overall quality of life (p all <0.01). Substantial impairment was noted among women reporting >/=4 symptoms. In summary, HIV-positive women reported significantly poorer functioning and well-being than HIV-negative women. We conclude that patient-reported measures of health status and related concepts may provide a feasible, reliable and valid method to assess the impact of HIV/AIDS and future therapeutic interventions to improve patient outcomes in rural Africa.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • HIV Infections / psychology*
  • Health Status
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Mothers / psychology
  • Quality of Life / psychology*
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Rural Health
  • Surveys and Questionnaires / standards*
  • Uganda