Aids

The UN General Special Assembly on HIV/AIDS reported that Thailand's elderly are living on the edge of poverty. Those who become caregivers for the children who have been orphaned by AIDS incur even greater challenges. The 2007 Survey of Older Persons of Thailand (SOPT) concluded that there is a range of financial and social safety nets provided by the government, nongovernmental (NGO), and faith-based organizations (FBOs) to help the elderly caregivers and their families. The research offered limited studies on Thailand's elderly caring for these children.

Background  The growing global epidemic of HIV/AIDS has a significant impact on the lives of both people living with HIV/AIDS and their family members including children. Children of parents with HIV/AIDS may experience an increased responsibility of caregiving in family. However, limited data are available regarding the caregiving experience and its impact on psychosocial well-being among these children. This study was designed to address these issues by using qualitative data collected from children affected by HIV/AIDS in China.

This paper analyses data from a 3-year prospective study to understand the factors associated with becoming a caregiver to a person with a chronic illness and examines the dynamics among caregivers over time. A total of 1485 participants were drawn from a study conducted in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya. Two waves of data collected in 2006 for the baseline and a follow-up in 2009 were used. Information on the demographic, self-reported health and socioeconomic characteristics such as education, sources of livelihood and employment status was used.