Understanding the psychosocial context of employment and occupational productivity among women living with HIV: A mixed-methods study.
Jenni M Wise, Deborah Konkle-Parker, James L Raper and 7 others
PMID 39240604WHAT IT FOUND
Employed women living with HIV valued work for income, purpose and quality of life.
Most said HIV had little impact on work focus. Empowerment, education, social support and cognitive health were linked to better work productivity.
Key findings
01In interviews with 29 women, 90% said work improved their quality of life.
02Among 164 employed women, 62.3% scored 30 on the occupational productivity measure, indicating no perceived impairment.
03Better cognitive function, lower stress, higher education, social support and personal empowerment were associated with occupational productivity.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study included only employed women, so it cannot explain barriers for women living with HIV who are unemployed or unable to work. The qualitative interviews were with 29 women, mostly Black (93%) and mostly college-educated (62%), so they may not represent all women living with HIV. The quantitative results are associations from regression models, so they do not show what causes better or worse work productivity. Work productivity was self-reported with an adapted scale, not measured by objective work output. The qualitative interviews were not solely focused on occupational productivity, so the qualitative and quantitative parts could not be directly compared on the same outcome.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflict of interest. The parent Women's Interagency HIV Study was established by the National Institutes of Health.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that employment causes better health or work productivity. The study only included women who already had jobs and reported associations, not an intervention effect.