Health-promoting practices and the factors associated with self-reported poor health in caregivers of children orphaned by AIDS in southwest Uganda

Abstract

Informal caregivers worldwide are faced with the dilemma of maintaining their health and meeting the caregiving demands of their loved ones. This study explores the health outcomes of caregiving, caregivers' health-promoting practices and the challenges to providing care among caregivers to children orphaned by AIDS in southwest Uganda. A descriptive design and interview questionnaires were used to collect data from 204 caregivers. The average age of the caregivers was 41.36 (±10.9) years and most of them (53%) were grandmothers to the orphans. The majority (65%) of the caregivers were caring for at least three orphans, had been in the caregiver role for more than five years (61%), and stated that their health had been negatively impacted by caregiving (61%). According to self-reports, the most common new health problems since taking up the caregiving role were chronic ill health (97%), social isolation (95%) and mental stress (92%). The health-promoting practices most often engaged in were eating a balanced diet (67%), seeking spiritual support (58%), and performing self-care activities (44%). The challenges to caregiving most often reported were poverty (88%) and a lack of time to seek personal medical care (59%). The predictors of self-reported poor health among the caregivers were stress (odds ratio [OR] = 3.43; p ≤ 0.01), caring for three or more orphans (OR = 2.19; p ≤ 0.01), female gender (OR = 1.77; p ≤ 0.01), and having spent more than five years as a caregiver to an orphan (OR = 1.35; p ≤ 0.01). The findings suggest that caregivers commonly experience poor health and their health-promoting practices are inadequate. There is a need for organised and formal health-promotion programmes for caregivers of children orphaned by AIDS, especially in rural areas of developing countries. Interventions for health promotion can be achieved through integrated programmes that provide health education, social services, respite from caregiving and counselling.

Dumela Mma: an examination of resilience among South African grandmothers raising grandchildren

“…Despite evidence that South African grandmothers raising grandchildren experience significant social, physical, psychological and economic adversity (Chazan 2008; Hlabyago and Ogunbanjo 2009; Kuo and Operario 2011; Muliira and Muliira 2011; Nyasani, Sterberg and Smith 2009), research has yet to focus on the ways in which grandmothers experience themselves as being resilient. The findings from this study demonstrate that South African grandmothers, much like grandparents raising grandchildren in other cultural contexts, perceive themselves as engaging in a number of resilient processes that they believe benefit themselves and their families.…”

International Perspectives on Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Contextual Considerations for Advancing Global Discourse

“…Grandparents also report difficulties with parenting (Hlabyago & Ogunbanjo, 2009) and a variety of health problems including hypertension, diabetes, and arthritis (Chazan, 2008). Due to financial constraints (Chazan, 2008) and a lack of time or means to seek medical assistance (Muliira & Muliira, 2011), many of these health problems go untreated. As such, it is not surprising that Muliira and Muliira (2011) conclude that raising grandchildren has a negative impact on grandmothers' well-being.…”

“…Due to financial constraints (Chazan, 2008) and a lack of time or means to seek medical assistance (Muliira & Muliira, 2011), many of these health problems go untreated. As such, it is not surprising that Muliira and Muliira (2011) conclude that raising grandchildren has a negative impact on grandmothers' well-being. Additionally, grandmothers may be involved in supporting their extended families and larger communities (Chazan, 2008), which can create further strain.…”

Overweight status of the primary caregivers of orphan and vulnerable children in 3 Southern African countries: a cross sectional study

“…Primary caregivers worldwide are facing the dilemma of maintaining their own health while addressing the physical and emotional needs of family members [ 1 ]. Primary caregiving of children is particularly challenging in Africa, where the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome and the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV/AIDS) pandemic has increased the number of orphan and vulnerable children (OVC) in need of care.…”