HIV-infection and Parenting in South African Mothers

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): South Africa has an HIV-infection rate of 4.7 million (approximately 1 in 9 people). Between 1995 and 2005 South Africa is expected to have the highest number of AIDS-related deaths on the African continent, a total of 2.7 million. Many infected individuals are mothers. However, there is very little research conducted with South African women examining the relationship between maternal HIV-infection and family processes. Research conducted in the United States indicates that maternal HIV-infection compromises parenting, and that the extent to which parenting is compromised depends, at least in part, on a mother's resources. In order to identify resources that may enhance an infected woman's parenting abilities, within the unique sociocultural context of South Africa, additional research is needed. In the proposed study, we will examine a group of HIV-infected Black South African mothers and a community control sample. Aim One of this study is to investigate the impact of maternal HIV-status on family structural resources. Four categories of resources will be assessed: 1) material (shelter, nutrition, healthcare, and economic); 2) social (stigma, non-family social support, and community agencies); 3) family (maternal power and status, family social support, support from co-parent, and allocation of resources); and 4) personal (maternal psychological functioning, parenting efficacy, and spirituality). Aim Two is to examine the relationship between maternal HIV-status and parenting, as moderated by the aforementioned structural resources (Figure 1). In particular, parenting variables will include parent-child relationship and parental supervision of the child. The study's purpose is to identify potential protective factors that could be directly addressed through community-based interventions. Interventions that enhance protective parenting, which has been associated with decreased child sexual risk-taking in the United States, may decrease the spread of HIV in South Africa.