Children with HIV in Jamaica showed positive educational outcomes

Children and adolescents with HIV attending formal or remedial school in Jamaica had positive educational outcomes, according to research presented at the AIDS 2014 meeting.

Charmaine N. Crooks-Edwards, MD, of the Ministry of Health in Kingston, Jamaica, and colleagues assessed clinical and academic performance data from school reports and medical records of 121 children with HIV who were attending a pediatric infectious diseases clinic. The mean age of the children was 13.5 years. The study was conducted from September 2010 to June 2013.

Seventy-seven percent of the study cohort were perinatally infected; 50% lived in family-based settings vs. state-based residential care; and 32% were considered to have CDC category C disease associated with encephalopathy.

Sixty-nine percent of the 106 children in school were enrolled in a formal education system. Of those, 60% received family-based care. Seventy-nine percent of non-encephalopathic children were enrolled in a formal education system vs. 59% of encephalopathic children who were in remedial settings.

At the primary school level, 67% of children had satisfactory grade averages, defined as 50% or higher. At the secondary school level, 48% had satisfactory grade averages. Researchers observed no differences regarding residential or clinical status.

The cohort had high levels of school attendance, satisfactory conduct and homework completion, regardless of residential or clinical status.

“In Jamaica, HIV-infected children and adolescents are being integrated in formal and remedial school settings, yet achieving good educational outcomes. Community-based interventions, including implementing parental literacy and numeracy programs to enhance income generating opportunities, vocational-life skills training for HIV-infected children aged 8 to 17 years of age, and psychosocial support and half-way houses to teach independent living for those aged more than 17 years who are in state-based care must now be implemented to optimize the future of this vulnerable population,” the researchers concluded.

For more information:

Crooks-Edwards C. Abstract #MOPE089. Presented at: International AIDS Conference; July 20-25, 2014; Melbourne, Australia.

Disclosure: Relevant financial disclosures were not provided by researchers.