Maternal HIV Illness and its Impact on Children’s Well-being and Development in Haiti

Abstract

Little is known about the impact of parental HIV illness on children’s well-being and development in the island nations of the Caribbean. Study objectives were to examine mothers’ experiences of impact of HIV illness on their children’s well-being and development in Haiti. Baseline interviews were conducted between 2006 and 2007 with 25 HIV-positive mothers as part of a larger study that examined the feasibility of a psychosocial support group intervention for HIV-affected youth and their caregivers in central Haiti. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and coded for topical themes by two investigators. Main themes related to impact of maternal HIV illness on children’s well-being were the lack of mothers’ physical strength to take care of their children, and their difficulties in providing housing and food for their children. Children’s school enrollment, attendance, and performance were also affected by their mother’s illness. Mothers reported that although their children were HIV-negative, children were distressed by HIV-related stigma that they and their mothers experienced. Findings suggest that children living in HIV-affected families in this region face disadvantages in nutritional, educational, and psychological outcomes. These considerations should be taken into account when designing interventions to support children living in HIV-affected families in this setting.

Parenting self‐efficacy in the context of poverty and HIV in Eastern Uganda: A qualitative study

“…A similar finding was described in a study among Ugandan HIV‐infected caregivers and children drawn from a separate cohort of the parent trial (Murray et al., ) and is consistent with other qualitative studies among caregivers living with HIV. For example, a study in Haiti described how mothers living with HIV found it challenging to earn sufficient income to provide food and housing for their children and to send their children to school (Conserve et al., ). Regarding caregivers’ comments on keeping their children in good health, findings from this qualitative study should be interpreted within the context of the parent trial, through which caregivers had received a year‐long health and nutrition intervention.…”

A narrative systematic review of quantitative and qualitative evidence on the impacts of HIV on women living with HIV and their families in developing countries

“…The general characteristics of the included studies are presented in Table 1. Ten studies (11 articles) were conducted in Asia and the Pacific region, six in Africa (4,6,23,(33)(34)(35), one study (two articles) in Caribbean (11,12), and one study in both Zimbabwe and USA (36). Of the 20 articles, eleven employed face to face qualitative interviews (4,11,12,14,23,24,34,(37)(38)(39)(40).…”

“…Ten studies (11 articles) were conducted in Asia and the Pacific region, six in Africa (4,6,23,(33)(34)(35), one study (two articles) in Caribbean (11,12), and one study in both Zimbabwe and USA (36). Of the 20 articles, eleven employed face to face qualitative interviews (4,11,12,14,23,24,34,(37)(38)(39)(40). Nine articles used quantitative methods (3,5,6,13,25,33,35,36,41), of which seven were cross-sectional (3,5,6,25,33,35,36) and two were prospective cohort studies (13,41).…”

“…These social consequences are reported to lead to the deterioration of women's wellbeing as a result of both physical and mental or psychological conditions (7)(8)(9). The HIV status of women also negatively impacts on their family psychologically, socially and interferes with education of their children (10)(11)(12). Further impacts have been reported within HIV-affected families including child-mother separation and child-parent conflicts (11,13), and reduced economic power through mechanisms such as loss of jobs, increased health expenditure, food insecurity, hunger and poverty (12)(13)(14).…”

“…The HIV status of women also negatively impacts on their family psychologically, socially and interferes with education of their children (10)(11)(12). Further impacts have been reported within HIV-affected families including child-mother separation and child-parent conflicts (11,13), and reduced economic power through mechanisms such as loss of jobs, increased health expenditure, food insecurity, hunger and poverty (12)(13)(14). Such impacts may lead to a vicious cycle and further health deterioration in WLHIV and their family members due to factors including inability to meet basic needs such as food and health care (15)(16)(17).…”