Abstracts Psychology

Quality of Life in Older African American Men Living with HIV/AIDS: A Structural Equation Analysis

by Valessa St. Pierre

Older HIV-positive African American men have unique needs stemming from added risk factors for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, stigma, and limitations imposed by psychosocial disparities. These complex experiences may adversely affect the quality of life of older HIV-positive African American men. Yet, it is unclear whether an existing quality of life model (CIQOL; Heckman, 2003) will generalize to older HIV-positive African American men. Structural equation modeling analyses assessed the generalizability of two models to 167 HIV-positive older African American and Caucasian men between the ages of 48 and 73 years. The first model (Adapted CIQOL Model) was adapted from the Chronic Illness Quality of Life Model (CIQOL; Heckman, 2003). The second model is a revised version of the Adapted CIQOL Model in that the causal relationships were modified based on the empirical literature on African Americans (The Revised CIQOL). The Adapted CIQOL Model and Revised CIQOL Model demonstrated goodness of fit for both samples. The findings' implications are discussed.