HIV-Associated Orphanhood and Children’s Psychosocial Distress

Theoretical Framework Tested With Data From Zimbabwe

Bibliographic Data

ID11029314
AuthorsConstance Nyamukapa (0000-0001-6779-4069, United Nations Children's Fund), Constance A Nyamukapa (Constance A. Nyamukapa, Simon Gregson, Ben Lopman, Helen J. Watts, and Matthew C. H. Jukes are with the Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College London, London, England. Suzue Saito and Roeland Monasch are with UNICEF, Harare, Zimbabwe.), Sarah Gregson (0000-0003-2707-0714, Constance A. Nyamukapa, Simon Gregson, Ben Lopman, Helen J. Watts, and Matthew C. H. Jukes are with the Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College London, London, England. Suzue Saito and Roeland Monasch are with UNICEF, Harare, Zimbabwe.), Simon Gregson, Ben Lopman (Constance A. Nyamukapa, Simon Gregson, Ben Lopman, Helen J. Watts, and Matthew C. H. Jukes are with the Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College London, London, England. Suzue Saito and Roeland Monasch are with UNICEF, Harare, Zimbabwe.), Suzue Saito (0000-0001-9725-5736, Constance A. Nyamukapa, Simon Gregson, Ben Lopman, Helen J. Watts, and Matthew C. H. Jukes are with the Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College London, London, England. Suzue Saito and Roeland Monasch are with UNICEF, Harare, Zimbabwe.), Helen Watts (0000-0002-8286-8764, United Nations Children's Fund), Helen J Watts (Constance A. Nyamukapa, Simon Gregson, Ben Lopman, Helen J. Watts, and Matthew C. H. Jukes are with the Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College London, London, England. Suzue Saito and Roeland Monasch are with UNICEF, Harare, Zimbabwe.), Roeland Monasch (Constance A. Nyamukapa, Simon Gregson, Ben Lopman, Helen J. Watts, and Matthew C. H. Jukes are with the Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College London, London, England. Suzue Saito and Roeland Monasch are with UNICEF, Harare, Zimbabwe.), Matthew C H Jukes (0000-0001-6001-041X, Constance A. Nyamukapa, Simon Gregson, Ben Lopman, Helen J. Watts, and Matthew C. H. Jukes are with the Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College London, London, England. Suzue Saito and Roeland Monasch are with UNICEF, Harare, Zimbabwe.)
Year2008
Volume98
Issue1
Pages133-141
Publication date2008-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0090-0036 • E-ISSN: 1541-0048
PublisherAmerican Public Health Association (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.2105/ajph.2007.116038
PMID18048777
PMCIDPMC2156069
OpenAlexW1998820862
LanguageEN
Citations received66
References cited21

Objectives. We measured the psychosocial effect of orphanhood in a sub-Saharan African population and evaluated a new framework for understanding the causes and consequences of psychosocial distress among orphans and other vulnerable children. Methods. The framework was evaluated using data from 5321 children aged 12 to 17 years who were interviewed in a 2004 national survey in Zimbabwe. We constructed a measure of psychosocial distress using principle components analysis. We used regression analyses to obtain standardized parameter estimates of psychosocial distress and odds ratios of early sexual activity. Results. Orphans had more psychosocial distress than did nonorphans. For both genders, paternal, maternal, and double orphans exhibited more-severe distress than did nonorphaned, nonvulnerable children. Orphanhood remained associated with psychosocial distress after we controlled for differences in more-proximate determinants. Maternal and paternal orphans were significantly more likely than were nonorphaned, nonvulnerable children to have engaged in sexual activity. These differences were reduced after we controlled for psychosocial distress. Conclusions. Orphaned adolescents in Zimbabwe suffer greater psychosocial distress than do nonorphaned, nonvulnerable children, which may lead to increased likelihood of early onset of sexual intercourse and HIV infection. The effect of strategies to provide psychosocial support should be evaluated scientifically

Distress · Environmental health · Logistic regression · Odds · Odds ratio · Population · Psychiatry · Psychosocial · Child Welfare and Adoption · Clinical Psychology · Demography · Family Support in Illness · Medicine · Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare · Psychology