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Life with HIV as a chronic illness: A theoretical and methodological framework for antiretroviral treatment studies in resource-limited settings

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Abstract

The large-scale introduction of antiretroviral treatment (ART) in the developing world has transformed HIV/AIDS into a manageable chronic condition. However, research is urgently needed to address the specific needs for sustainable ART scale-up in these high-prevalence, resource-limited settings. The current article aims to set a new agenda for future research on the facilitators of and impediments to lasting success of ART in resource-limited settings. There are two parts to this article: (1) construction of a robust theoretical framework labelled the Individual-Family-Community (IFC) model and including the potentially valuable concepts of hybrid identity, family resilience and competent communities, to explain the impact of HIV/AIDS and ART on those affected, and the response of society; and (2) specification of associated methodological tools, that is, latent growth modelling, to generate new knowledge and implement the IFC-model. The proposed theoretical framework and the associated methodology could guide future HIV/AIDS research by suggesting pathways to model the recent paradigm shift of AIDS care to chronic disease care, as well as a full-blown epidemic that affects all aspects of society in a resource-limited setting.

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Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Prof. H.C.J. van Rensburg and Prof. H. Meulemans for their insightful comments on earlier drafts of the article.

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  1. Department of Sociology and Research Centre for Longitudinal and Life Course Studies, University of Antwerp, Sint-Jacob Street 2, Antwerp, 2000, Belgium

    Edwin Wouters

  2. Centre for Health Systems Research and Development, University of the Free State, Nelson Mandela Avenue, Bloemfontein, South Africa

    Edwin Wouters

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Wouters, E. Life with HIV as a chronic illness: A theoretical and methodological framework for antiretroviral treatment studies in resource-limited settings. Soc Theory Health 10, 368–391 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1057/sth.2012.12

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