Validation of a Felt Stigma Scale among People Living with HIV and AIDS in the Dominican Republic

Funding agencies
World Bank
Implementing institutions
COPRESIDA (current CONAVIHSIDA)
Principal investigator
Marija Miric
Co-principal investigator
-
Year(s)
2003
Related publications
Miric M: “Carga psicosocial del estigma sentido entre las personas que viven con el VIH/SIDA en la República Dominicana: Autoestima, depresión y percepción de apoyo social”, Perspectivas Psicológicas, Vol.5, Año VI; Santo Domingo, R.D. Miric M: “Escala para la evaluación del estigma sentido entre las personas que viven con el VIH/SIDA en la República Dominicana”, Paradigmas, Año II, No.4., August 2004; Santo Domingo, R.D.

Summary

The preliminary version of Felt Stigma Scale, composed by 42 items, was administrated to 254 HIV positive persons (71.7% women), in 22 self-support groups of the Dominican Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (REDOVIH), through individual interviews. Exploratory factor analysis was performed (Alpha factoring with varimax extraction), extracting 4 factors (personalized stigma, disclosure concerns, self-stigma and extensive stigma), and retaining the items with factor loadings above .50 on at least one of them. 

A simple, 18-item scale was obtained, aimed to identify PLWHAs with difficulties in managing felt stigma-related issues. The internal consistency reliability was supported by Coefficient Alpha (0.84), and the evidence for construct validity was provided through significant correlations with related constructs (self-esteem, social support and depression), supporting the use of this scale among the HIV positive persons in the Dominican Republic.

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