Formal Employment and Health-Related Quality of Life among People Living with HIV in South Africa

• Published in: Applied Research in Quality of Life Vol. 8; no. 2; pp. 145 - 168
• Main Author: Odek, Willis Omondi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.06.2013; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; AIDS; Consciousness; Disclosure; Employment; Gender; HIV; Human immunodeficiency virus; Labor force participation; Medical appointments; Medical treatment; Mental health; Physiology; Political Science; Professional relationships; Quality of life; Quality of Life Research; Social Sciences; Social support; Sociology; Stigma; Well being; Work environment; Workplaces; Health-related quality of life; South Africa; Employment; People living with HIV; Antiretroviral treatment
• ISSN: 1871-2584; 1871-2576
• DOI: 10.1007/s11482-012-9183-9

This study examined the link between formal employment and characteristics of the workplace (especially awareness of workplace HIV policies and HIV status disclosure to work colleagues) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among people living with HIV (PLHIV). The study analysed medical treatment and employment history since first being diagnosed as HIV-positive among 554 adults, 55 % females, who had been on HIV treatment for at least 2 years in South Africa. Additional cross-sectional data on HRQoL were collected using the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form (SF-36) (QualityMetric Incorporated). Two hundred and forty four (44 %) of the study participants (39 % and 49 % among males and females, respectively) were formally employed at the study interview. Formally employed study participants reported higher HRQoL than those not formally employed, as reflected in mean scores in the physical and mental component summaries of the SF-36 instrument. HRQoL was unrelated to study participants’ CD4 count, viral load and duration since HIV diagnosis. Among the formally employed study participants, 27.9 % reported awareness of workplace HIV policies in their organisations, while 50.8 % said they had disclosed their HIV status to work colleagues. The awareness of workplace HIV policies was associated with higher mental component summary scores after controlling for study participants’ socio-demographic characteristics, but had no significant association with the physical component summary scores. The disclosure of HIV status to work colleagues was associated with neither mental nor physical component summary scores. The finding of a positive association between formal employment and HRQoL among PLHIV suggest the need for facilitative interventions for employment entry and continuation among PLHIV for their wellbeing.