Measuring health-related quality of life: a comparison between people living with aids and police on active duty

Abstract

Key words: HIV/AIDS; health-related quality of life; police on active duty; SF-36 questionnaire; subjective well-being ABSTRACT The escalating rate of AIDS-related deaths in South Africa has led to an increase in social scientific research on the perceptions and experiences of people suffering from AIDS by focusing on their physical health and emotional well-being. The aim of this study was to measure and compare the quality of life of two sample groups in South Africa, namely members of the police on active duty, as an example of a healthy population, and people living with AIDS. The SF-36 questionnaire was used as measuring instrument to assess the respondents' perceptions of their own health-related quality of life. From the research, which was based on a comparative approach, it was found that statistically significant differences existed between people living with AIDS and members of the police force in respect of their scores on all eight of the SF-36 domains (p < 0.05). The biggest difference between the AIDS respondents and members of the police occurred in the emotional roles limitation dimension, followed by the physical functioning and the bodily pain dimensions. Intervention programmes that are aimed at contributing to the improvement of the well-being of people suffering from AIDS, therefore need to incorporate mechanisms that provide support in all eight of the quality-of-life dimensions.