Priorities for health and wellbeing for older people with and without HIV in Uganda: a qualitative methods study

With improved HIV treatment availability in sub-Saharan Africa, the population of older people with HIV (PWH) is growing. In this qualitative study, we intended to understand (1) the lived experiences of ageing people in rural Uganda, with and without HIV, (2) their fears and health priorities as they grow older.

We conducted 36 semi-structured interviews with individuals with and without HIV in Mbarara, Uganda from October 2019 to February 2020. Interview guide topics included priorities in older age, physical functioning in daily activities, social functioning, HIV-related stigma and the impact of multimorbidity on health and independence. Interviews were conducted in Runyankole, transcribed, translated and inductively coded thematically by two researchers with tests for inter-coder reliability.

The respondents were purposively sampled to be evenly divided by sex and HIV serostatus. The median age of respondents was 57 (49-73). Two-thirds were married or cohabitating, 94% had biological children and 75% cited farming as their primary livelihood. Overall, PWH considered themselves as healthy or healthier than people without HIV (PWOH). PWH rarely considered their HIV status a barrier to a healthy life, but some reported a constant sense of anxiety as it relates to their long-term health. Irrespective of HIV status, nearly all respondents noted concerns about memory loss, physical pain, reductions in energy and the effect of these changes on their ability to complete physical tasks like small-scale farming, and activities of daily living important to the quality of life, such as participating in community groups. Increasing reliance on others for social, physical and financial support was also a common theme. The most prevalent health concern among participants involved the threat of non-communicable diseases and perceptions that physical functioning may diminish.

In rural Uganda, we found that PWH consider themselves to be healthy and do not anticipate a different ageing experience from PWOH. Common priorities shared by both groups included the desire for physical and financial independence, health maintenance and social support for daily functioning and social needs. Entities supporting geriatric care in Uganda would benefit from attention to concerns about functional limitations and reported needs as people age with and without HIV.