St. Joseph's Hospital, Ghana Health Service, Accra, Jirapa, Ghana.
Pediatrics, Ghana College of Nurses and Midwives, Accra, Ghana.
BMJ Open. 2024 May 17;14(5):e081036. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-081036.
Family caregivers of children living with HIV/AIDS in most cases are found to be overwhelmed and under-resourced, yet they are believed to be the primary source of support for children living with HIV/AIDS. Family caregivers experience different challenges that affect their children's antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence.
This study explored the lived experiences of family caregivers of children living with HIV/AIDS who sought ART services for these children at the St Joseph's Hospital of Jirapa, Ghana.
Using a qualitative phenomenology design and a semistructured in-depth interview guide and using purposive sampling, data were gathered from 13 family caregivers of children living with HIV/AIDS receiving ART treatment at St Joseph's Hospital, Jirapa following ethical approval. All interviews were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the transcribed data.
Six themes were generated: five challenges and one support. Family caregivers of children living with HIV/AIDS experienced: (1) Financial challenges, (2) Human-related challenges, (3) Challenges at HIV testing and counselling (HTC) centres, (4) Challenges with transportation, (5) Challenges in disclosing children's HIV status to them and (6) Support received from HTC and their family members.
Family caregivers of children living with HIV/AIDS experience daunting challenges in their quest to care for their children. Governmental and non-governmental HIV/AIDS programme support should include small business skills training and acquisition including capital to help set up small-scale businesses for such caregivers to reduce their financial challenges. Access to ART at clinics closer to caregivers is also key to promoting adherence. Family and community support has been recognised as key to enhancing ART adherence. Education of caregivers on policy regarding disclosure of the HIV/AIDS status of children, the need to work to reduce the time spent by caregivers at HTC, and ensuring privacy by limiting access to HTCs to only caregivers and their children, are important to enhancing adherence.
在大多数情况下，儿童艾滋病病毒感染者的家庭照顾者都不堪重负且资源不足，但他们被认为是儿童艾滋病病毒感染者的主要支持来源。家庭照顾者面临着不同的挑战，这些挑战影响了他们所照顾的儿童接受抗逆转录病毒治疗（ART）的依从性。
本研究探讨了在加纳 Jirapa 的圣约瑟夫医院为其儿童寻求 ART 服务的儿童艾滋病病毒感染者的家庭照顾者的生活体验。
采用质性现象学设计和半结构式深入访谈指南，并通过目的性抽样，在获得伦理批准后，从在圣约瑟夫医院接受 ART 治疗的 13 名儿童艾滋病病毒感染者的家庭照顾者中收集数据。所有访谈均进行录音，并逐字转录。采用反思性主题分析对转录数据进行分析。
生成了六个主题：五个挑战和一个支持。儿童艾滋病病毒感染者的家庭照顾者经历了：（1）经济挑战；（2）人际关系挑战；（3）艾滋病毒检测和咨询（HTC）中心的挑战；（4）交通挑战；（5）向儿童披露 HIV 感染状况的挑战；（6）从 HTC 和他们的家庭成员那里获得的支持。
儿童艾滋病病毒感染者的家庭照顾者在照顾子女的过程中面临着艰巨的挑战。政府和非政府艾滋病毒/艾滋病方案的支持应包括小企业技能培训和获取，包括为这些照顾者提供开办小型企业的资金，以减轻他们的经济挑战。在更接近照顾者的诊所获得 ART 也是促进依从性的关键。家庭和社区的支持已被认为是增强 ART 依从性的关键。对照顾者进行关于披露儿童 HIV 感染状况政策、减少照顾者在 HTC 花费的时间的必要性以及通过限制仅允许照顾者及其子女进入 HTC 来确保隐私的教育，对于增强依从性很重要。
