What are the Factors Affecting the Quality of Life of People Living with HIV/ AIDS? A Path Analysis Evidence from Surakarta, Central Java

Background: People living with HIV/ AIDS (PLWH) often face rough social problems, such as social rejection, stigma, and discrimination. Factors that affect PLWH’s quality of life may include psychosocial factors, economic status, immunological status, social support, and co-morbidity. This study aimed to determine the factors affecting the quality of life of people living with HIV/ AIDS. Subjects and Method: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at Solo Plus Peer Support Group, Surakarta, Central Java, from January to February 2018. A sample of 100 PLWH was selected for this study by simple random sampling. The dependent variable was the quality of life. The independent variables were healthy behavior, depression, family income, stigma, peer support, and social support. The data were collected by questionnaire and analyzed by path analysis. Results: Quality of life of PLWH increased with involvement in peer support group (b= 3.40; 95% CI= 0.71 to 6.10; p= 0.001), social support (b= 0.70; 95% CI= 0.01 to 1.40; p=0.046), and healthy behavior (b= 9.33; 95% CI= 5.30 to 13.36; p< 0.001). Quality of life of PLWH decreased with stigma (b= -1.10; 95% CI=-1.84 to -0.36; p= 0.003), and depression (b= -4.23; 95% CI= -6.62 to -1.83; p= 0.001). Quality of life of PLWH was indirectly affected by income (b= 0.06; 95% CI= 10.14 to 18.61; p< 0.001). Conclusion: Quality of life of PLWH increases with healthy behavior, peer support group, social support, and income, but decreases with depression and stigma. Keywords: quality of life, PLWH, stigma, peer support group, social suppor