Amsterdam 2015
Menu
AIDSImpact.com
Conference Details
Authors
International Committee
Plenary Speakers
Presenting Speakers
Programme
Sessions
Scientific Committee
Acknowledgements
| Abstract #2010 - The Enigma of Stigma | ||||
|
Session: 35.1: The Enigma of Stigma (Symposium) on Thursday @ 14.30-16.00 in C104 Chaired by Danuta Kasprzyk, Jeffrey Fisher Authors: Presenting Author: Ms. Chen Zhang - Vanderbilt University, United States |
||||
| Additional Authors: | ||||
| Aim: Stigma against PLWHA has been considered as one of the major obstacles to HIV prevention worldwide. However, no existing studies have examined risk factors that contributed to different types of stigma in the life context of PLWHA. In the current study, we established a series of predictive models to examine risk factors that correlated with different types of stigma that encountered by PLWHA. | ||||
| Method / Issue: In the current study, we conducted a cross-sectional study among a group of 2987 PLWHA in Guangxi Province of China. In order to explore the set of risk factors that are “best” able to predict the stigma against PLWHA, a series of predictive models with different types of stigma (e.g., perceived, internalized, and enacted) as outcomes have been established. To follow the procedure of establishing predictive models, multivariate regression with backward ion with goodness-of-fit tests (F-statistics) were employed. We used the p-value of 0.20 as the cut-off point for both the global likelihood ratio test and the stepwise regression tests. | ||||
| Results / Comments: Our predictive models identified different sets of protective and risk factors for stigma against PLWHA. For instance, for PLWHA encountered internalized and perceived stigma, younger age, having religious belief, alcohol use, higher self-esteem and social support, and experiencing better attitude from medical staff acted as protective factors while having residence record outside the current city, higher depression and coping scores, transmission via commercial sex partners, working as part/full-time, and rating worse on their overall health status all played as risk factors (p<0.05). For PLWHA who encountered enacted stigma, higher self-esteem and social support, disclosure health sero-status to family members, and working as fulltime all played as a protective factors. On the other hand, PLWHA who had higher education, anxiety score, and experienced bad attitude from medical staff had reported higher enacted stigma (p<0.05). | ||||
| Discussion: By establishing the predictive models, we identified factors were associated with stigma against PLWHA at both individual (e.g., demographics, mental health) and structural (e.g., attitude from medical staff, social support) levels. We call for tailored stigma reduction programs targeting different types of stigma for PLHIV with various characteristics. Some traditionally protective factors (e.g., higher coping score, working) may exert opposite effects. Health professionals as well as stakeholders at all levels need to carefully examine and mitigate risk factors that embedded within the life context of PLWHA. | ||||
| Go Back | ||||