Abstract
The role of social support in assisting youth in developed countries cope with their HIV diagnosis has been examined through a vast body of research; yet, there remains a gap in research around the effects of social support among youth living in sub-Saharan African countries including Kenya. This study aimed to examine the role of social support among Kenyan youth living with HIV, specifically with regard to the variations in influences of this social support. We conducted semi-structured focus group discussions with youth (ages 18 to 27) living in the informal urban settlement of Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya (n = 53). Data analysis followed a phenomenological inquiry framework, and seven major categories of perceived social support influences were identified: (1) linkage to services, (2) antiretroviral (ARV) adherence, (3) self-acceptance of HIV status, (4) healthy and positive living, (5) understanding of what it means to be living with HIV, (6) HIV status disclosure, and (7) family and occupational strengthening. The findings from this study suggest that Kenyan youth living with HIV can benefit from social support in a multitude of ways and can occur across several socio-ecological levels. Future research should further examine these influences, specifically regarding intervention development across socio-ecological levels.
Highlights
The global burden of HIV remains high: there were 36.9 million people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in 2017 [1]
To understand the role of social support within the experiences of Kenyan youth newly diagnosed with HIV, six focus group discussions were conducted with youth residents of Kibera, the informal urban settlement in Nairobi
Qualitative data was collected through focus group discussion (FGD), as the aim of the study was to gain a phenomenological understanding of the lived experiences of youth newly diagnosed with HIV, and the group dynamic could provide potentially richer data than could individual interviews with regard to the phenomena of interest [28]
Summary
The global burden of HIV remains high: there were 36.9 million people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in 2017 [1]. Kenya has been more affected by HIV than have many other parts of the world, with prevalence rates within the top fifteen highest country-level rates; UNAIDS estimates that, in 2017, 1.5 million Kenyans were living with HIV [2,3]. HIV was the leading cause of disability adjusted life years (DALYs) and of death in Kenya [4]. HIV prevalence rate in Nairobi is higher than Kenya’s country-level rate of 4.9% and considerably higher than the global rate of 0.8% [1,5]. Res. Public Health 2019, 16, 775; doi:10.3390/ijerph16050775 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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