50plushiv: Psychosocial aspects of growing older with HIV and AIDS in Germany. Quantitative primary data.

Research Questions/Hypotheses:

Research Design:

Fully standardised survey instrument (provides question formulation and answer options); single measurement

Measurement Instruments/Apparatus:

The 50plushiv study was an explorative study that was intended to enable a variety of health psychological, health scientific and psychosocial questions to be addressed. For this purpose, a comprehensive survey instrument consisting of individual items and questionnaires was created, which included ad hoc scales and items but also standardised scales and tests, the selection of which was made on the basis of a comprehensive literature research as well as expert interviews.
The questionnaire covered these topics:

• Personal information and life situation
• Information about the HIV infection
• Coping with HIV infection
• HIV stigma and discrimination
• Life satisfaction and quality of life
• Concomitant diseases and other health parameters
• Sexuality
• Health behaviours
• Use of preventive services
• Social support and loneliness
• Aspects of medical care
• Hospitalisation and rehabilitation
• Support and support needs in everyday life
• Living in old age
• Worries

In total, the questionnaire comprised about 210 items. Among them are the following established scales and indices:
Socio-economic status (Robert Koch Institute).
Health-related quality of life (SF-12)
Subjective health status (Self-rated health: 1 item as part of the SF-12)
Mental health (PHQ-4)
Life satisfaction
Internalised HIV stigma (Negative self-image subscale of the HIV Stigma Scale)
Adversarial Growth (self-shortened version of the Silver Lining Questionnaire)
Social support (modified version of the Oslo-3 Social Support Scale)
Feelings of loneliness (shortened version of the UCLA Loneliness Scale subscale)
Alcohol consumption (AUDIT-C)

Data Collection Method:

Survey in the absence of an investigator

• Postal survey
• Online survey

Population:

All persons with diagnosed HIV infection who have reached the age of 50 and live in Germany.

Survey Time Period:

2013-09-30 to 2014-03-02

Sample:

Convenience sample

Gender Distribution:

13 % female participants
87 % male participants

Age Distribution: 50-83 years

Spatial Coverage (Country/Region/City): Germany/-/-

Subject Recruitment:

Between October 2013 and January 2014, more than 3,000 questionnaires were sent to about 140 HIV specialist doctors, 50 HIV specialist outpatient clinics, about 100 regional AIDS support organisations and associations, 40 other counselling and self-help facilities and 12 care services and residential facilities for HIV-positive people, with the request to pass them on to clients who had reached the age of 50.
A total of 544 paper questionnaires were returned by the participants (response rate approx. 18 percent), of which 499 could be included in the evaluation sample.

In addition to this recruitment method, an online questionnaire was made available, which could be accessed and answered via a link on the project homepage at www.50plushiv.de. The link to the homepage was published in media reports. The link to the homepage was advertised in media reports, via social networks as well as via leaflets. A link to the online questionnaire was also provided on the paper questionnaire.

The online questionnaire was clicked on 1,102 times during the field period from 30 September 2013 to 2 March 2015. The questionnaire was started 665 times and 426 persons answered the questionnaire to the end. The average response time for the online questionnaire was 38 minutes. 408 data sets could be included in the analysis sample.

This resulted in an analysis sample with the total size of n=907, of which 55% completed the paper questionnaire and 45% completed the online questionnaire.

Recruitment was supported by reports in various media aimed at the gay and HIV community. Thus, articles about the study appeared on queer.de, aidshilfe.de and 2mecs, in Siegessäule, Projekt Information, HIV&more, Dhiva and other media.

Sample Size:

907 participants

Return/Drop Out: