Kidman R., Hanley J.A., Subramanian S.V., Foster G., Heymann J.
McGill University, Canada; Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, United States; Harvard School of Public Health, United States; Family AIDS Caring Trusts, Zimbabwe
Kidman, R., McGill University, Canada, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, United States; Hanley, J.A., McGill University, Canada; Subramanian, S.V., Harvard School of Public Health, United States; Foster, G., Family AIDS Caring Trusts, Zimbabwe; Heymann, J., McGill University, Canada
Pediatric HIV infections jeopardize children's health and survival. Much less is known about how the experiences of being orphaned, living with chronically ill parents, or living in a severely affected community impact child health. Our study responds by examining which HIV/AIDS-related experiences place children at greatest risk for poor health. Data from the 2004-2005 Malawi Integrated Household Survey were analyzed using logistic multilevel modeling to examine whether HIV/AIDS-related experiences within the family and community predicted reported health status among children age 6-17 years. We found higher burdens of acute and chronic morbidity for children whose parents have an AIDS-related illness. No other AIDS-related exposure, including orphanhood and recent household deaths, demonstrated a clear relationship with health status. Children living with sick parents may be at increased risk due to the spread of infectious disease and receiving limited adult care. Community home-based care programs are best situated to identify children in these difficult circumstances and to mitigate their disadvantage. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.
acquired immune deficiency syndrome; child health; disease control; disease spread; health impact; health risk; human immunodeficiency virus; infectious disease; numerical model; risk factor; acquired immune deficiency syndrome; article; asthma; child; child health; childhood injury; chronic disease; community living; death; diarrhea; epilepsy; exposure; family; female; fever; health status; household; human; influenza; major clinical study; malaria; Malawi; male; morbidity; orphaned child; parent; prevalence; respiratory tract disease; respiratory tract infection; risk; schistosomiasis; stomach disease; stomach pain; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Adolescent; Child; Child, Orphaned; Family Health; Female; Health Status; Health Surveys; HIV Infections; Humans; Logistic Models; Malawi; Male; Morbidity; Multilevel Analysis; Parent-Child Relations; Residence Characteristics; Risk Factors; Malawi