Conference Proceedings - School of Nursing & Midwifery - Trinity ...

School of Nursing & Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin: 8 th Annual Interdisciplinary Research Conference
Transforming Healthcare Through Research, Education & Technology: 7 th – 9 th November 2007
Conference Proceedings
The mean HIV Symptom Index score was 0.60 (SD=.44), which
means that symptoms mostly occurred from never to up to three
days per week. The most prevalent symptom was fatigue (48.8%),
followed by sadness and headache (34.1% each?). The least
prevalent symptoms were skin problems (14.6%) and paresthesias
(19.5%). Pain intensity was minimal (mean = 2.56, SD=2.36 scale
of 0 to 10).
Although no gender differences were noted in the mean MQoL-HIV
score, females reported better quality of life in social functioning
than males (22.55, SD=3.39 vs. 20.69. SD=6.57, p=.005). No
gender differences were noted in stigma and symptoms scores.
Married respondents reported better MQoL-HIV mean quality of life
than single ones (206.50, SD=38.77 vs. 158.42, SD=34.34
respectively, p=.002), in the social function domain (18.53, SD =
7.03 vs. 24.50, SD = 3.57, p = .023) and the sexual function
domain (12.11, SD=6.56 vs. 18.57, SD=5.54, p=.027).
The level of education was significantly related to the mean MQoL-
HIV (p=.006). Respondents with up to elementary education with
higher quality of life scores than those with university education
(197, SD=45.05 vs. 150.60, SD=27.56, p=.048); and those with
secondary/technical education reported higher quality of life scores
than those with intermediate level (203.62, SD=37.35 vs. 159.67,
SD=25.27, p=.011). The level of education was also significantly
associated with level of stigma [F (3, 37) = 2.97, p=.044].
Moreover, those with secondary or technical education reported
more frequent symptoms than those with intermediate education
(p=.006). Participants who did not know what their HIV serostatus
had the highest score on partner intimacy, while the AIDS group
had the lowest score (26.2, SD=2.68 vs. 14.5, SD=10.02, p=.038).
Higher MQoL-HIV scores were significantly associated with lower
mean symptoms (spearman’s rho=-.617, p=.000), the symptoms of
imbalance (spearman’s rho=-.435, p=.004), sadness (spearman’s
rho=-.576, p=.000), sleep disturbance (spearman’s rho=-.587,
p=.000), fever (spearman’s rho=-.473, p=.002), nausea
(spearman’s rho=-.340, p=.030), diarrhea (spearman’s rho=-.396,
p=.013), and skin problems (spearman’s rho=-.432, p=.005). In
addition, higher stigma scores correlated with lower overall quality
of life scores (spearman’s rho=-.555, p=.000).
Correlations between the single item of overall quality of life and the
MQoL-HIV score were significant with the overall MQoL-HIV mean
(r=.517, p=.001), the mental health (r=.427, p=.006), social
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