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Updated: Sep 28, 2025

Measuring Frailty in HIV-infected Individuals. Identification of Frail Patients is the First Step to Amelioration and Reversal of Frailty
Published on: July 24, 2013
Risk and protective factors for depressive symptoms among the youth living with HIV in Namibia
Eveline Ndinelao Kalomo1, Dasha Shamrova1, Jung Sim Jun2
1School of Social Work, Wichita State University, Wichita, USA.
Background:
: Namibia has one of the highest HIV prevalence rates among young people living with HIV and AIDS. The study of mental well-being among this vulnerable population is emerging as an important area of public health research.
Methods:
: This study examined how gender, social support, food insecurity, HIV-related stigma, HIV treatment adherence and HIV transmission knowledge are related to depressive symptoms among young people living with HIV in rural northern Namibia. Data were collected from 188 participants from the Zambezi region.
Results:
: The hierarchical regression analysis revealed that being a female infected with HIV, having perceived food insecurity, experiencing more HIV-related stigma and having low levels of social support can exacerbate the severity of depressive symptoms in this sample of Namibian youth.
Discussion:
: Our findings point to the need to expand social support interventions, enhance socio-economic programmes and reduce HIV-related stigma among young people living with HIV, especially those residing in rural, HIV endemic, resource-limited communities in developing countries.
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