Social Support and Quality of Life Among People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Ghana

Abstract

Utilization of antiretroviral therapies (ART) prolongs life and heightens ability to engage in productive activities among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). This study implemented a 6-week long Social Care Intervention (SCI) Program in Ghana and identified protective factors associated with Quality of Life (QoL) among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). We discovered that SCI model in the form of social support associated positively with differences in the QoL among PLWHA. Logistic regression revealed that social support, especially affectionate support, was positively associated with a higher level of QoL. People who were older and healthier tended to have higher levels of QoL compared with their counterparts who were younger and sicker. These findings suggest that building social support system can serve as an empowerment approach to promote quality of life among PLWHA in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where resources are limited.