HIV-infection and Parenting in South African Mothers

描述(由申请人提供)：南非的艾滋病毒感染率为470万(约每9人中有1人感染)。在1995年至2005年期间，南非预计将是非洲大陆与艾滋病有关的死亡人数最多的国家，共计270万人。许多感染者都是母亲。然而，很少对南非妇女进行研究，探讨母亲感染艾滋病毒与家庭过程之间的关系。在美国进行的研究表明，母亲感染艾滋病毒会损害育儿能力，而育儿能力受损的程度至少部分取决于母亲的资源。为了在南非独特的社会文化背景下确定可以增强受感染妇女育儿能力的资源，需要进行更多的研究。在这项拟议的研究中，我们将检查一组感染艾滋病毒的南非黑人母亲和一个社区对照样本。目的探讨母亲HIV感染状况对家庭结构资源的影响。将评估四类资源：1)物质(住房、营养、医疗保健和经济)；2)社会(耻辱、非家庭社会支持和社区机构)；3)家庭(母亲的权力和地位、家庭社会支持、来自双亲的支持和资源分配)；以及4)个人(母亲的心理功能、育儿效能和精神)。目标二是审查母亲艾滋病毒状况和育儿之间的关系，正如上述结构性资源所调节的那样(图1)。特别是，育儿变量将包括亲子关系和父母对孩子的监督。这项研究的目的是确定可以通过社区干预直接解决的潜在保护因素。加强保护性育儿的干预措施可能会减少艾滋病毒在南非的传播。在美国，保护性育儿与儿童性风险的减少有关。

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.