Healthy Aging in Older Women Living with HIV Infection: a Systematic Review of Psychosocial Factors

• Authors: Anna Rubtsova, Emory University; Mirjam-Colette Kempf, University of Alabama Birmingham; Tonya N. Taylor, SUNY Downstate Medical Center; Deborah Konkle-Parker, University of Mississippi; Gina M Wingood, Emory University; Marcia McDonnell Holstad, Emory University
• Journal Title: Current HIV/AIDS Reports
• Volume: Volume 14, Number 1
• Publisher: Current Medicine Group | 2017-02-01, Pages 17-30
• Type of Work: Article | Post-print: After Peer Review
• Publisher DOI: http://doi.org/10.1007/s11904-017-0347-y
• Subjects: Health Sciences, Public Health; Health Sciences, Nursing
• Keywords: Science & Technology; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Infectious Diseases; HIV/AIDS; Older women; Older adults; Elderly; Psychosocial factors; Sexual health; Mental health; Healthy aging; Healthcare utilization; Protective factors; ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY ADHERENCE; IMPROVEMENT GROUP INTERVENTION; BLACK/AFRICAN AMERICAN ADULTS; RANDOMIZED CLINICAL-TRIAL; SOCIAL NETWORKS; SEXUAL-BEHAVIORS; STIGMA SCALE; CONDOM USE; DRUG-USE

Abstract

Due to life-enhancing effects of antiretroviral therapy, HIV-positive persons have the potential for long life comparable to their uninfected peers. Older women (age 50+) living with HIV (OWLH) are often an under-recognized aging group. We conducted a systematic review to examine psychosocial factors that impact how OWLH live, cope, and age with HIV. Initial key word search yielded 1527 records, and 21 studies met our inclusion criteria of original quantitative or qualitative research published between 2013 and 2016 with results specific to OWLH. These focused on health care and self-management, sexual health and risk, stigma, loneliness, mental health (depression, substance use), and protective factors (coping, social support, well-being). Due to the scarcity of studies on each topic and inconclusive findings, no clear patterns of results emerged. As the number of OWLH continues to grow, more research, including longitudinal studies, is needed to fully characterize the psychosocial factors that impact aging with HIV.