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Article
Extending the Use of the 40-Item HIV-Stigma Scale to Older Adults: An Examination of Reliability and Validity
Journal of HIV/AIDS & Social Services
  • Charles A. Emlet, University of Washington Tacoma
Publication Date
8-16-2007
Document Type
Article
Abstract

This paper explores the potential for extending the use of a 40-item stigma scale, developed by Berger and colleagues, to older adults with HIV/AIDS. The increase in the numbers of adults living into older age with HIV, along with new infections in those 50+, makes this issue relevant. A sample of 25 older adults completed the stigma scale, and all answered a semi-structured question about how they felt the scale captured their experiences of stigma. The sample ranged in age from 50 to 72 years (M = 56.1 å± 5.75); 38% were female, and 40% were people of color. The stigma scale and its 4 subscales showed excellent internal consistency ranging from ë± = .92 to .96. The scale was found to have good convergent validity with the CES-D depression scale. Sixty-four percent of the respondents felt the scale did a good job capturing their experiences of stigma as older persons living with HIV/AIDS or offered no suggestions for improvement. The scale was found to be reliable and valid for measuring HIV-stigma in the original study and appears to maintain its integrity in a sample of older HIV-infected adults.

DOI
10.1300/J187v06n03_04
Publisher Policy
pre-print, post-print
Disciplines
Citation Information
Charles A. Emlet. "Extending the Use of the 40-Item HIV-Stigma Scale to Older Adults: An Examination of Reliability and Validity" Journal of HIV/AIDS & Social Services Vol. 6 Iss. 3 (2007) p. 43 - 54
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/charles_emlet/54/