Participants' Reflections on a Home-Based Rehabilitation Intervention for People Living With HIV in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Abstract

Rehabilitation for people living with HIV (PLWH) can improve physical function and reduce activity limitations common in this population. Institution-based rehabilitation interventions are often difficult to access, particularly in resource-constrained communities. Our study used semistructured interviews to describe the experiences of eight PLWH involved in a novel home-based rehabilitation intervention in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Participants reported a number of physical and mental benefits related to their involvement in this 4-month intervention. They further described a number of extrinsic and intrinsic facilitators that enabled them to continue to exercise and, in some cases, to return to work, 1 year after the intervention. These facilitators helped them face various life challenges, which included stigma related to their HIV status and disability and continued poverty and hunger. The findings of our study support calls for alternative accessible rehabilitation options for PLWH in resource-constrained communities.