Several empirical studies, particularly those conducted in developed countries, have linked social support to quality of life among persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWA). However, few studies have been conducted in developing countries, such as China; therefore, the question of any association being present between social support and quality of life in PLWA in China remains unanswered. This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted to examine the relationships between social support and quality of life among PLWA in the Jiangxi and Zhejiang provinces of China. A total of 377 PLWA participated in this study, and questionnaires used included demographics, the Chinese Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36, and a Social Support Rating Scale, all of which were collected through face-to-face interviews between 1 March and 15 April 2013 in six different County Centers of Disease Control and Prevention in Jiangxi and Zhejiang provinces, and one hospital in the Jiangxi. The health-related quality of life score was 64.7±13.5 (out of a total score of 100), which was significantly lower than the national norm level of 78.2±15.9. The total score of social support was 29.4±7.8 (full score 66). The canonical correlation between social support and quality of participants' lives was shown to be statistically significant (p<0.0001). The relationship between subjective support and quality of life among PLWA was also significant (p=0.004). Subjective support and the use of social support showed a positive correlation with vitality, role-physical, and role-emotional, and a negative correlation with body pain. The current study suggests that PLWA with lower social support have diminished quality of life.
Keywords: HIV/AIDS; Jiangxi; Zhejiang; canonical correlation; quality of life; social support.