RHP&EO is the electronic journal of the International Union for Health Promotion and Education

Measuring Aids-Related Stigma And Social Support As Experienced By Aids Patients In Northern Tanzania

Lie, Gro Therese(1); Biswalo, Paul M.(2); Aaro, Leif Edvard(1)

1) Research center for health promotion (HEMIL), University of Bergen, Norway, 2) Faculty of Education, University of Dares Salaam, Tanzania

Health promotion research at the HEMIL centre has a significant international component. This abstract describes one in a series of studies based on collaboration with health promotion researchers in Tanzania. The aim of the study was to develop a culturally appropriate instrument measuring AIDS-related stigma and social support. A structured questionnaire was constructed based on qualitative research and experience with local HIV-counselling programmes. Two-hundred-and-forty-six AIDS-patients in an ongoing counselling programme in Amsha and Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, were interviewed. The questions addressed the patients' experience/perception of stigma and care/support from categories of key-persons in their network. The instrument used for measuring stigma and care/support seems to be of acceptable quality as far as validity and reliability is concerned. There is no strong association between levels of stigma and levels of care, except in the case of the spouse or cohabiting sex-partner. Most patients report receiving social support, but the level of reported stigma is substantial enough to state that AIDS-related stigma is a problem which deserves future research and intervention.

Internet Explorer 5.0 or later version gives the optimal visual effect of this website.