IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pone00/0105154.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Higher Quality of Life and Lower Depression for People on ART in Uganda as Compared to a Community Control Group

Author

Listed:
  • Faith Martin
  • Steve Russell
  • Janet Seeley

Abstract

Provision of antiretroviral treatment (ART) to people living with HIV (PLWH) has increased globally. Research measuring whether ART restores subjective well-being to “normal” levels is lacking, particularly in resource limited settings. The study objectives are to compare quality of life and depression symptoms for PLWH on ART to a general community population and to explore factors to explain these differences, including socio-economic status and the impact of urban or rural residence. PLWH on ART (n = 263) were recruited from ART delivery sites and participants not on ART (n = 160) were recruited from communities in Wakiso District, Uganda. Participants were interviewed using the translated World Health Organisation Quality of Life brief measure, the Hopkins Symptom Checklist depression section, and questions about socio-economic status, residence as urban or rural and, for PLWH on ART, self-reported adherence and use of HIV counselling. Compared to the community sample and controlling for location of residence, PLWH on ART had significantly higher quality of life (QOL) for physical, psychological and environment domains, but not the social domain. These differences were not due to socio-economic status alone. Depression scores were significantly lower for PLWH on ART. Both comparisons controlled for the effect of location of residence. People on ART self-reported high adherence and the majority had used HIV counselling services. Our findings show better QOL amongst PLWH on ART compared to a general community sample, which cannot be explained solely by differences in socio-economic status nor location of residence. The general community sample results point towards the challenges of life in this setting. Access to health services may underpin this difference and further research should explore this finding, in addition to identification of psychological mechanisms that relate to better QOL. ART provision infrastructure has clear benefits. Further work should consider sustainability and replication for other health conditions.

Suggested Citation

  • Faith Martin & Steve Russell & Janet Seeley, 2014. "Higher Quality of Life and Lower Depression for People on ART in Uganda as Compared to a Community Control Group," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(8), pages 1-8, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0105154
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0105154
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0105154
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0105154&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pone.0105154?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bandy Lee & Sylvia F. Kaaya & Jessie K. Mbwambo & Mary C. Smith-Fawzi & Melkizedek T. Leshabari, 2008. "Detecting Depressive Disorder With the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 in Tanzania," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 54(1), pages 7-20, January.
    2. Norma C Ware & John Idoko & Sylvia Kaaya & Irene Andia Biraro & Monique A Wyatt & Oche Agbaji & Guerino Chalamilla & David R Bangsberg, 2009. "Explaining Adherence Success in Sub-Saharan Africa: An Ethnographic Study," PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(1), pages 1-7, January.
    3. Robert Cummins, 1996. "The domains of life satisfaction: An attempt to order chaos," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 38(3), pages 303-328, January.
    4. Russell, Steven & Seeley, Janet, 2010. "The transition to living with HIV as a chronic condition in rural Uganda: Working to create order and control when on antiretroviral therapy," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 70(3), pages 375-382, February.
    5. Martin W G Brinkhof & Mar Pujades-Rodriguez & Matthias Egger, 2009. "Mortality of Patients Lost to Follow-Up in Antiretroviral Treatment Programmes in Resource-Limited Settings: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 4(6), pages 1-9, June.
    6. Ed Diener & Ed Sandvik & Larry Seidlitz & Marissa Diener, 1993. "The relationship between income and subjective well-being: Relative or absolute?," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 28(3), pages 195-223, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Charlotte Bernard & François Dabis & Nathalie de Rekeneire, 2017. "Prevalence and factors associated with depression in people living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(8), pages 1-22, August.
    2. Elnur Rustamov & Tunzala Musayeva & Xalida Xalilova & Gultekin Ismayilova & Ulviyya Nahmatova, 2023. "Association between Self-Esteem and Smartphone Addiction: The Mediating Role of Self-Control," Technium Social Sciences Journal, Technium Science, vol. 46(1), pages 256-267, August.
    3. Steve Russell & Faith Martin & Flavia Zalwango & Stella Namukwaya & Ruth Nalugya & Richard Muhumuza & Joseph Katongole & Janet Seeley, 2016. "Finding Meaning: HIV Self-Management and Wellbeing among People Taking Antiretroviral Therapy in Uganda," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(1), pages 1-16, January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Phillip Gregg & Philip Salisbury, 2001. "Confirming and Expanding the Usefulness of the Extended Satisfaction With Life Scale (ESWLS)," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 54(1), pages 1-16, April.
    2. Megan King & Vivian Renó & Evlyn Novo, 2014. "The Concept, Dimensions and Methods of Assessment of Human Well-Being within a Socioecological Context: A Literature Review," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 116(3), pages 681-698, May.
    3. Massimo Aria & Michelangelo Misuraca & Maria Spano, 2020. "Mapping the Evolution of Social Research and Data Science on 30 Years of Social Indicators Research," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 149(3), pages 803-831, June.
    4. Ruta, Danny & Camfield, Laura & Donaldson, Cam, 2007. "Sen and the art of quality of life maintenance: Towards a general theory of quality of life and its causation," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 397-423, June.
    5. Norma C Ware & Monique A Wyatt & Elvin H Geng & Sylvia F Kaaya & Oche O Agbaji & Winnie R Muyindike & Guerino Chalamilla & Patricia A Agaba, 2013. "Toward an Understanding of Disengagement from HIV Treatment and Care in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Qualitative Study," PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(1), pages 1-10, January.
    6. Christian Unge & Björn Södergård & Gaetano Marrone & Anna Thorson & Abigael Lukhwaro & Jane Carter & Festus Ilako & Anna Mia Ekström, 2010. "Long-Term Adherence to Antiretroviral Treatment and Program Drop-Out in a High-Risk Urban Setting in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Prospective Cohort Study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 5(10), pages 1-12, October.
    7. Robert Cummins, 2000. "Personal Income and Subjective Well-being: A Review," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 1(2), pages 133-158, June.
    8. Rojas, Mariano, 2008. "Experienced Poverty and Income Poverty in Mexico: A Subjective Well-Being Approach," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 36(6), pages 1078-1093, June.
    9. Michael Hagerty & Robert Cummins & Abbott Ferriss & Kenneth Land & Alex Michalos & Mark Peterson & Andrew Sharpe & Joseph Sirgy & Joachim Vogel, 2001. "Quality of Life Indexes for National Policy: Review and Agenda for Research," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 55(1), pages 1-96, July.
    10. Ed Diener & Eunkook Suh & Heidi Smith & Liang Shao, 1995. "National differences in reported subjective well-being: Why do they occur?," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 34(1), pages 7-32, January.
    11. Sylvester Ngome Chisika & Chunho Yeom, 2021. "Enhancing Sustainable Management of Public Natural Forests Through Public Private Partnerships in Kenya," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(4), pages 21582440211, October.
    12. Bhuiyan, Muhammad Faress & Ivlevs, Artjoms, 2019. "Micro-entrepreneurship and subjective well-being: Evidence from rural Bangladesh," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 34(4), pages 625-645.
    13. Xiaobao Li & Houchao Lyu, 2022. "Social Status and Subjective Well-Being in Chinese Adults: Mediating Effect of Future Time Perspective," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 17(4), pages 2101-2116, August.
    14. Rahman, Tauhidur & Mittelhammer, Ron C. & Wandschneider, Philip R., 2011. "Measuring quality of life across countries: A multiple indicators and multiple causes approach," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 40(1), pages 43-52, February.
    15. Christopher Arnold & Beate Muschalla, 2025. "Differential Life Satisfaction in a German Representative Sample," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 22(1), pages 1-14, January.
    16. M. Sirgy, 2011. "Theoretical Perspectives Guiding QOL Indicator Projects," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 103(1), pages 1-22, August.
    17. Joaquina Lever, 2004. "Poverty and Subjective Well-being in Mexico," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 68(1), pages 1-33, August.
    18. Xavier Ramos, 2008. "Using Efficiency Analysis to Measure Individual Well-being with an Illustration for Catalonia," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Nanak Kakwani & Jacques Silber (ed.), Quantitative Approaches to Multidimensional Poverty Measurement, chapter 9, pages 155-175, Palgrave Macmillan.
    19. Soo Tan & Siok Tambyah & Ah Kau, 2006. "The Influence of Value Orientations and Demographics on Quality-of-Life Perceptions: Evidence from a National Survey of Singaporeans," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 78(1), pages 33-59, August.
    20. Castro, Damaris & Bleys, Brent, 2023. "Do people think they have enough? A subjective income sufficiency assessment," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 205(C).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0105154. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: plosone (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.