Caregivers living with HIV experience elevated caregiver strain and sexual identity-specific aging concerns

While there is broad research among caregivers in general, much less is focused on caregivers living with HIV, a gap we beging to fill here.

Data come from the Columbus Healthy Aging Project (N=794) which assessed several domains of health among adults aged ≥50 years in Columbus, Ohio, USA. Using multivariable regression models, we examined the likelihood of being a caregiver, number of care recipients, and caregiver strain among people living with HIV alongside measures of aging concerns.

People living with HIV (n=32) were more likely to serve as caregivers (aOR=2.92; 95% CI: 1.22, 7.02) and experience elevated caregiver strain (B=1.31; 95% CI: 0.06, 2.56) than those who are HIV-negative. There was no association nor moderation between HIV status, caregiver status, and general aging concerns. Separately, caregivers (B=1.02; 95% CI: 0.20, 1.83) and those diagnosed with HIV (B=2.13; 95% CI: 0.60, 3.67) each reported increased sexual identity-specific aging concerns. We also observed significant moderation between these variables (B=6.53; 95% CI: 3.61, 9.46).

These results suggest there are unique forms of stress that are elevated among caregivers living with HIV, a critical area of research as elevated stress is well known to lead to comorbid conditions among those living with HIV.