Chinese Mothers’ Intent to Disclose Their HIV Status to Their Children: The Role of Positive Outcome Expectations and Reward Responsiveness

Objective: The current study investigated the role of positive outcome expectations and reward responsiveness in intention to disclose HIV status to children among women living with HIV in China. The moderating role of reward responsiveness was also explored. Method: A 1-year longitudinal survey was conducted. 269 women living with HIV who had at least one child aged >5 years and had not yet disclosed their HIV status to their oldest child were selected from a larger sample of women living with HIV at baseline, with a total of 261 respondents completing the follow-up survey. Results: After adjusting for significant socio-demographic and medical variables, positive outcome expectations positively predicted mothers’ intention to disclose HIV, while reward responsiveness had a negative effect. A moderation effect of reward responsiveness was found, with further analysis showing that reward responsiveness has strengthened the relationship between positive outcome expectations and intention to disclose HIV. Conclusion: Findings support the relevance of positive outcome expectations and reward responsiveness to intention of disclosure among women living with HIV in China.