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Correlates and Mediators of Problem Behaviors Among Children Affected by HIV/AIDS in Rural China: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis

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Abstract

The current study examines the relationships of several psychosocial correlates and mediating factors with problem behaviors among children (6–18 years of age) affected by parental HIV/AIDS in rural China. Cross-sectional data were collected from 755 children orphaned by AIDS (“orphans”) and 466 children living with HIV-positive parents (“vulnerable children”) during 2006–2007 in central rural China. The structural equation modeling analyses revealed that HIV-related stigma had a positive direct effect on problem behaviors of vulnerable children, while HIV-related stigma and low education aspiration had direct negative effects on school adjustment among both orphans and vulnerable children. Measures of future orientation and perceived social support mediated the effect of HIV-related stigma and low education aspiration on school adjustment, which in turn was negatively associated with problem behaviors of both groups. The data also showed that school adjustment mediated the effect of low education aspiration and HIV-related stigma on problem behaviors of both orphans and vulnerable children. Future prevention intervention efforts aiming to reduce problem behaviors and improve school adjustment among these children should target multiple factors at individual, community, and societal levels such as enhancing the children’s future expectation, increasing the social support from family, school, and community, and reducing HIV-related stigma against children and families affected by HIV.

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Acknowledgments

The study described in this report was supported by NIH Research Grant R01MH76488 by the National Institute of Mental Health, R01NR13466 by the National Institute of Nursing Research, NSF71203098 by National Natural Science Foundation of China, and 11CSH045 and 12CSH096 by National Social Science Foundation of China. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute of Nursing Research, or any of the other funding agencies. The authors want to thank other research team members from Wayne State University, Beijing Normal University, and Henan University for their participation in instrument development and field data collection.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Public Administration, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China

    Qun Zhao, Xiaoming Li & Chunyan Gu

  2. Institute of Psychology and Behavior, Henan University, Kaifeng, China

    Junfeng Zhao & Guoxiang Zhao

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  1. Qun Zhao
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  2. Xiaoming Li
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  3. Chunyan Gu
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Correspondence to Xiaoming Li.

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Zhao, Q., Li, X., Gu, C. et al. Correlates and Mediators of Problem Behaviors Among Children Affected by HIV/AIDS in Rural China: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis. J Child Fam Stud 24, 2892–2904 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-014-0093-3

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