The study used mixed methods to analyze older people living with HIV (OPLWH). Qualitative study methods were employed to analyze lived experiences of HIV care management, and this was through conducting interviews. Quantitative methods were used to measure the HIV stigma, global stress, and engagement in care. The inclusion criteria of the participants in the study were if they had a confirmed HIV diagnosis (Harris et al., 2020).
The participants’ eligibility also depended on age, as the analysis was restricted to those above fifty. Participants in this study also had to be black or identify as African American. The understanding of English and provision of consent were also requirements for the participants’ eligibility (Harris et al., 2020). Thirty-five participants were found eligible and took part in the study.
Surveys were the initial step through which the research was conducted. Participants of the study filled out a survey which was then entered into a Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) database that is secure and web-based. Qualitative interviews were one way the studies were conducted after the surveys were completed (Harris et al., 2020). The in-depth interviews were based on a semi-structured interview guide. The interviews were conducted in person and lasted thirty minutes to two hours. Transcribing of the interviews into audio files took place after completion.
Focus groups of six participants each were created. The focus groups represented different viewpoints, and they also served to increase the credibility and trustworthiness of the initial data collection phases. It was also a means of gaining feedback and settling disagreements over the initial analysis. Data analysis was conducted both qualitatively and quantitatively (Harris et al., 2020). Quantitative analysis to ascertain variables and correlations in engagement in care, stress, and stigma (Harris et al., 2020). For the qualitative analysis, identifying information was removed from the transcribed files before the analysis of the interviews took place.
The use of mixed methods in the study was important as a means of cross-validating findings. The study established that stigma and stress affected healthcare engagement and disengagement. Life stress and HIV-related stress were established as two stress components (Harris et al., 2020). According to the participants, stigma was a present force, but everyday stressors overshadowed it, and it was not the most significant stressor in their lives (Harris et al., 2020). These qualitative findings were contextualized by the experiences of the older people living with HIV from an African American background.
Other findings of the study, whose hypothesis the authors agreed with, was that apart from stigma and stress, disengagement from healthcare was also caused by distrust in the healthcare system and denial. Engagement in HIV patient care was deemed essential to managing the disease (Harris et al., 2020). According to the researchers, the hypothesis is that despite using a small sample size to conduct this study, similarities can be seen in other studies involving other population segments such as young people living with HIV.
This study’s findings are similar to the findings in “Depression, anxiety, stress, and stigma in informal caregivers of people living with HIV” (Khan et al., 2018). However, this study has limitations, such as those seen as a result of the self-report nature of data collection during the surveys. This would have made the data susceptible to bias in different forms.
There was also the limitation of the small number of participants to constitute an effective quantitative study analysis. The study’s conclusion emphasized the need for increased engagement between healthcare practitioners and patients in HIV care while also calling upon more research, especially on the effects on long-term survivors.
References
Harris, L. M., Crawford, T. N., Kerr, J. C., Thomas, T. A., & Schmidt, V. (2020). African American older adults living with HIV: Exploring stress, stigma, and engagement in HIV care.Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 31(1), 265–286.
Khan, R., Pai, K., Kulkarni, V., & Ramapuram, J. (2017). Depression, anxiety, stress, and stigma in informal caregivers of People Living with HIV (PLHIV). AIDS Care, 30(6), 722–726.