Perceptions of Social Support Sufficiency Among Older Adults With HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa

Globally, the greatest number of older people with HIV (OPWH) are in sub-Saharan Africa (3.7 million). This population will continue to expand with greater access to anti-retroviral therapy. Compared to OPWH in high income counties, these OPWH have constrained access to government and community-based services and largely rely on assistance from family, friends, and neighbors for their social support needs. We examined factors related to perceptions of instrumental and emotional support sufficiency (availability and adequacy) among OPWH age 50 and older in Uganda (n = 101) and South Africa (n = 108). Significant covariates of instrumental support sufficiency included not having an AIDS diagnosis, greater support from family, and less support from friends. Significant covariates of emotional support sufficiency were fewer depressive symptoms, greater support from family, and geographic location (Uganda). Explanation of these findings based on social network characteristics and implications for policy and program development will be discussed.