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Family Functioning and Child Behavioral Problems in Households Affected by HIV and AIDS in Kenya

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Abstract

HIV places acute stressors on affected children and families; especially in resource limited contexts like sub-Saharan Africa. Despite their importance, the epidemic’s potential consequences for family dynamics and children’s psychological health are understudied. Using a population-based sample of 2,487 caregivers and 3,423 children aged 8–14 years from the Central Province of Kenya, analyses were conducted to examine whether parental illness and loss were associated with family functioning and children’s externalizing behaviors. After controlling for demographics, a significant relationship between parental illness and externalizing behaviors was found among children of both genders. Orphan status was associated with behavioral problems among only girls. Regardless of gender, children experiencing both parental loss and illness fared the worst. Family functioning measured from the perspective of both caregivers and children also had an independent and important relationship with behavioral problems. Findings suggest that psychological and behavioral health needs may be elevated in households coping with serious illness and reiterate the importance of a family-centered approach for HIV-affected children.

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Acknowledgments

This study was made possible through funds from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief provided from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under a Cooperative Agreement (GPO-A-00-03-00003-00) with MEASURE Evaluation. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States government. In addition to our donors, we extend our appreciation to the research team from Population Studies Research Institute of the University of Nairobi, particularly Wanjiru Gichuhi who helped lead the fieldwork, along with the field, data entry and administrative staff who all helped to ensure data quality. We further acknowledge the logistical support provided by Kristen Neudorf and staff and volunteers from Integrated AIDS Project and Pathfinder International who operated programs in the region. We are also grateful for the review and useful editorial suggestions from Tory Taylor. Most importantly, we appreciate the children and caregivers who participated in this study and ultimately increased our understanding of their circumstances.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Highly Vulnerable Children Research Center, Tulane School of Social Work, Tulane University, 6823 St. Charles Ave., Building 9, New Orleans, LA, 70118, USA

    Tonya R. Thurman & Johanna Nice

  2. Program in Public Health, Preventive Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA

    Rachel Kidman

  3. Population Studies Research Institute, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya

    Lawrence Ikamari

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  1. Tonya R. Thurman
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  2. Rachel Kidman
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  3. Johanna Nice
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  4. Lawrence Ikamari
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Correspondence to Tonya R. Thurman.

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Thurman, T.R., Kidman, R., Nice, J. et al. Family Functioning and Child Behavioral Problems in Households Affected by HIV and AIDS in Kenya. AIDS Behav 19, 1408–1414 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-014-0897-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-014-0897-6

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