The Study On The Relative Life Events And Family Function Among PLWHAS's Family Members

Objective To investigate the relative life events and family function among family members of PLWHAS (People Living With HIV/AIDS) in Anhui rural area and to explore the related life events and influential factors in their life environment.Methods 190 family members of PLWHAS were selected from Jingjiu township of Yingzhou district Fuyang City and 216 residents selected from Xiaoxian district of non-epidemic areas in Anhui province were as control group. Questionnaires including general conditions, relative life events, AIDS knowledge, attitude and practice, Family APGAR Index (APGAR) and Security Questionnaire (SQ) were used to survey.Results The subjects of the survey included 406 peoples, 190 of them were family member of PLWHA. There are 70 men (36.8%), 120 women (63.2%) in the family member of PLWHA group, and 87 men (40.3%), 129 women (59.7%) in the control group. The average age was 37.89±16.41 and 42.41±14.76 years old in the family members of PLWHA group and control group, respectively. The KAP result indicated the family members of PLWHA got more knowledge about HIV: the average score of knowledge about HIV among the family members of PLWHA group was 9.37±2.45, while the control group was 5.52±3.86. The results of associated events survey showed that there has great difference on suicide ideation (χ~2=33.603, P<0.001), suicide attempt ion (χ~2=10.464, P=0.001) between the family member of PLWHA group and control group. Logistic regression analysis indicated that spouses with HIV (OR=8.574, OR 95% C.I.=3.199~22.985), other relations with HIV (OR=4.055, OR 95% C.I.=1.550~10.607) discriminated by other peoples (OR=4.445, OR 95% C.I.=1.640~12.051), and lower family adaptation level (OR=5.857, OR 95% C.I.=1.517~22.608) were the main risk factors of suicide ideation. The result of acceptance to an objective discrimination showed that the control group was more serious than the family member of PLWHA group, and the difference was statistically significant (t = 7.508, P <0.001). Analysis of covariance adjusting for age showed that the scores of fitness function, cooperation and intimacy in the family members of PLWHA were lower than the controls.Conclusion HIV/AIDS - related exposure factors, discrimination and relative life events might affect living plight of family members of PLWHAS in rural areas of northern Anhui. The psychological health should be cared about when the society helped the PLWHAS and their families.