Multidimensional Frailty, Quality of Life and Self-Management in Aging Hispanics Living With HIV

• Published in: Journal of applied gerontology 2024-07, Vol.43 (7), p.899-909
• Main Authors: Iriarte, Evelyn, Cianelli, Rosina, De Santis, Joseph P., Alamian, Arsham, Castro, Jose G., Matsuda, Yui, Araya, Alejandra-X.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Aging; Aging - psychology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Frail Elderly - psychology; Frailty; Frailty - ethnology; Hispanic or Latino - psychology; HIV; HIV Infections - ethnology; HIV Infections - psychology; HIV Infections - therapy; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Male; Management; Middle Aged; Quality of Life; Self-Management; Structural equation modeling
• ISSN: 0733-4648; 1552-4523; 1552-4523
• DOI: 10.1177/07334648231211743

An observational cross-sectional study was conducted to examine multidimensional frailty and its potential impact on quality of life (QOL) in aging Hispanic people living with HIV (PLWH) and assess the extent to which HIV self-management moderates this association. The sample included 120 Hispanic PLWH aged 50 years and older (M = 59.11; SD = 7.04). The structural equation modeling analyses demonstrated that multidimensional frailty was significantly related to QOL in its two dimensions, physical and mental (p < .001). The relationship between multidimensional frailty and mental and physical QOL remained significant even after controlling for confounders (age and gender). The moderator analyses indicated no statistically significant moderator effect of HIV self-management on multidimensional frailty and mental or physical QOL. These study results have practical implications that highlight the need for early screening for frailty with a multidimensional focus. Age-appropriate and culturally tailored interventions to prevent or mitigate multidimensional frailty may improve QOL.