Quality of life and coping strategies in HIV positive people with lipodystrophy

The aims of this study were two; 1) To observe if lipodystrophy syndrome in HIV positive people is related to their quality of life, and 2) to analyze the coping strategies used by people with lipodystrophy and if these have any connection with their quality of life. One hundred and thirty four people infected with HIV were assessed and divided into two groups: subjects without lipodystrophy (n = 73, 54%) and subjects with lipodystrophy (n = 61, 46%), When comparing the two groups quality of life, a significant difference (p = .042) in the subscale emotional discomfort of the questionnaire was found. When dealing with health problems, subjects with lipodystrophy use different coping strategies, both positive and negative. The most common are not requesting help from others , following the doctor s prescription , think about overcoming it on your own , and feeling hopeful and optimistic . Significant relations were found between the coping strategies used and all the quality of life questionnaire subscales. In summary, lipodystrophy may reduce quality of life at an emotional level when certain coping strategies are adopted.