Body image and antiretroviral therapy adherence among adolescents and young people living with HIV in Durban, South Africa.

Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.Background: The benefits of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for treating HIV among adolescents and young people living HIV (AYPLHIV) may be undermined by non-adherence to ART. Several reasons for non-adherence to ART have been reported among young people including internalised HIV-related stigma, body image concerns, and depression. Research into how AYPLHIV experience and make sense of feared or actual body changes is limited, yet these changes have emotional and psychological implications which may curtail adherence to ART. This doctoral thesis investigated the relationship between body image and various psychosocial factors; and explored the perceptions and feelings about body appearance among AYPLHIV in Durban, South Africa. Method: A cross sectional, convergent parallel mixed method approach was adopted in which quantitative and qualitative data were concurrently collected in the same phase of the research process using non-probability sampling. For the quantitative part of the study, a total of 76 AYPLHIV (15-24 years) were conveniently sampled. Qualitative data were obtained through a series of semi-structured in-depth interviews with a sub-set of 18 AYPLHIV who were purposively and conveniently recruited from the quantitative sample. Descriptive statistics, Pearson Product Moment correlations, and mediational analyses were used to analyse the quantitative data whereas thematic analysis was used for the qualitative data analysis. Results: The converging quantitative and qualitative results from this study provide evidence that body image is a significant issue among AYPLHIV and is differentially associated with various psychosocial factors. Self-esteem and adherence to ART were indirectly associated through a two-step path of internalised HIV-related stigma and then body appreciation. Findings from the qualitative analysis showed physical and psychosocial effects of living with HIV among young people including weight loss, body dissatisfaction and social withdrawal. Coping mechanisms such as social support networks and physical exercises were highlighted as important in counteracting the physical and psychosocial effects of negative body image and living with HIV. Conclusion: The findings from this study suggest that body image concerns are central to the health and well-being of AYPLHIV as they are related to several psychosocial challenges. The findings underscore the need for development of multi-pronged interventions to boost body image

A retrospective study exploring how South African newspapers framed Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders over an 11-year period (2004–2014)

The way schizophrenia is portrayed in the media contributes to the dissemination of misinformation about the symptoms, causes, and treatment of mental disorders and has the potential to perpetuate or mitigate the stigmatization of schizophrenia. While research on the news media’s role in exacerbating or mitigating the stigmatization of schizophrenia has been conducted widely in other contexts, our search did not yield any study on media framing of schizophrenia in South Africa. Therefore, this study used the framing theory to examine the media framing of schizophrenia following the enactment of two mental health policies in South Africa

Stress and coping among unmarried pregnant university students in South Africa

The improvement of maternal and child health (MCH) outcomes is an important part of the sustainable development goals (SDGs). MCH remains an important issue globally as the SDGs have not yet been achieved in most countries. Young women in universities are likely to experience unintended pregnancy due to risky sexual behaviors in tertiary institutions which is characterized by lack of condom and/or contraceptive use and coercion. Pregnant young women in an academic environment are susceptible to stressors associated with unintended pregnancy and academic demands of universities. However, very little is known about the stress and coping among young people in tertiary institutions who get pregnant during the course of their studies and choose to keep the pregnancy

Body image and antiretroviral therapy adherence among people living with HIV: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

HEARD, 2021.Introduction Adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) remains a key challenge to achieving the fast-track goal of ending the HIV epidemic by 2030. To provide a more comprehensive indication of whether interventions designed to promote ART adherence might benefit from targeting body image perceptions, we aim to conduct a systematic review to synthesise existing evidence on the association between body image and ART adherence. Methods and analysis A systematic review of peer-reviewed observational studies and randomised controlled trials that have investigated the association between body image and adherence to ART will be performed. JSTOR, PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO, PubMed, ScienceDirect and Web of Science databases will be searched from 1 January 2000 to 31 March 2021. Eligible records will consider body image as either an independent variable or a mediator, whereas ART adherence will be assessed as an outcome variable. Study selection will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and study quality will be assessed using relevant tools developed by the National Institute of Health. If sufficient data are available, a meta-analysis will be conducted. Effect size estimates will be aggregated using a random effects meta-analysis approach. Publication bias and its impact will be evaluated through the use of a funnel plot and the trim-and-fill method. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach will be used to report on the overall quality of evidence

"I like the way I am, but I feel like I could get a little bit bigger": Perceptions of body image among adolescents and youth living with HIV in Durban, South Africa.

Body image concerns are common among people living with HIV (PLHIV). Research into how young people living with HIV (YPLHIV) experience and make sense of feared or actual body changes is limited, yet these changes have emotional, psychological and interpersonal implications for young people who associate physical attractiveness with social desirability. The current study examined the subjective perceptions of body appearance and coping mechanisms among a sample of YPLHIV in Durban, South Africa. An interpretive qualitative inquiry was adopted to understand their lived experiences in relation to their body image and body satisfaction. In-depth interviews were conducted with 18 YPLHIV (15-24 years). Findings indicate physical and psychosocial effects of living with HIV among young people including weight loss, skin sores, body dissatisfaction, loss of self-esteem and social withdrawal. The study builds on previous research suggesting that PLHIV may experience a discrepancy between their actual self and ideal self. Enhancing existing coping mechanisms such as religious beliefs, support networks and physical exercises among YPLHIV can counter the physical and psychosocial effects of living with HIV and improve well-being. Body image concerns should be acknowledged when addressing HIV-related health in both health and family settings

Self-esteem and antiretroviral therapy adherence among young people living with HIV: An exploratory serial mediation analysis

Capitalising further on the benefits of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for individual treatment requires an improved understanding of the psychological processes that may affect optimal ART adherence among people living with HIV. We examined internalised HIV/AIDS-related stigma and body appreciation as mediators of the association between self-esteem and ART adherence among young people living with HIV (YPLHIV). A sample of 76 YPLHIV (Mage = 19.36, s.d.age = 2.56; male 56.58%) residing in an HIV hyperendemic region of South Africa completed self-report measures of self-esteem, internalised HIV/AIDS-related stigma, body appreciation, and ART adherence. Path-analytic mediation modelling was performed to test for direct and indirect effects linking self-esteem with ART adherence. Results of serial mediation analyses indicated that self-esteem and ART adherence were indirectly associated through a two-step path of internalised HIV/AIDS-related stigma and then body appreciation, as well as a one-step path through internalised HIV/AIDS-related stigma. The results provide preliminary support for internalised HIV/AIDS-related stigma and body appreciation as mechanisms underlying the association between self-esteem and ART adherence. Implications of the findings for promoting ART adherence among YPLHIV are discussed.Significance: Self-esteem and ART adherence were indirectly related through internalised HIV/AIDS-related stigma followed by body appreciation. Outcomes of intervention initiatives designed to promote ART adherence among young people living with HIV may be further improved by integrating components that target internalised HIV/AIDS-related stigma and body appreciation.

Mental Toughness Development via Military-Style Training in the NCAA: A Three-Phase, Mixed-Method Study of the Perspectives of Strength and Conditioning Coaches

Sport cultures transmit values for anticipated conduct. Recent events have resulted in injuries/deaths of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) student-athletes, usually during off-season football training. Through media reports, strength and conditioning coaches (SCC) have been allegedly involved by incorporating military-style training (MST). Mental toughness (MT) has been associated with hypermasculine subcultures in sports. For the first time, perceptions of collegiate SCCs were chosen to contribute to the development of cultural best practices in sports, via a multiphase mixed-method design (Phase 1, n = 465; Phase 2, n = 72; Phase 3, n = 99). Quantitative and qualitative data were collected aiming to confirm and explore the use of MST in the NCAA, its connection to SCCs, its association with MT development, and the role of the media. MST is uncommon in the NCAA. MST takes place mostly during the off-season in the form of physical, in-scope protocols while football is the most common sport. MST promotes MT. The recent media backlash is considered unfounded. Cultures promoted by SCCs do not indicate conformity of student-athletes to unethical/unhealthy expectations. Future sport psychology research and practice should continue to prioritize culture, cultural identities, and physical and mental well-being