Challenges and support for quality of life of youths living with HIV/AIDS in schools and larger community in East Africa: a systematic review
Abstract
BackgroundYouths living with HIV/AIDS (YLWHA) experience innumerable challenges within schools and the larger community. Nonetheless, these environments are potential sources of support for such youths. This review provides a synthesis of evidence about these challenges and support available for YLWHA to inform the design and implementation of interventions that support the wellbeing of youths living with HIV/AIDS in an East African context.MethodsWe searched MEDLINE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Web of Science, and Cochrane central registry of systematic reviews and randomized control trials for studies conducted in East Africa and published in English in the last 10 years (March 2007 to March 2017). We also searched Google Scholar and reference lists of all included studies. We purposed to include both qualitative and quantitative data but no quantitative data merited inclusion. We analyzed qualitative data using a framework thematic analysis.ResultsWe included 16 primary studies conducted in clinic and community settings that used qualitative or mixed methods. Three overarching themes—psychosocial wellbeing, treatment and health, and disclosure of HIV status together with a sub-theme of stigma that was important across the three overarching themes—were the basis for analysis. In each overarching theme, a duality of challenges versus support was reported. Psychosocial wellbeing included subthemes of challenges in schools and larger…
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