Self-Efficacy Orientations and Gender in Death Anxiety amongst HIV Sero-positive Patients: A Comparative Study

Abstract

This is a cross-sectional study that investigated self-efficacy and gender in death anxiety among HIV sero-positive patients. A convenience sample of  eighty (80) HIV sero-positive patients comprising forty (40) males and forty (40) females was selected. Self-efficacy Scale Inventory and Death Anxiety  Scale were the two questionnaires used in this study. A 3-way analysis of variance was used for data analysis on SPSS version 15. The  questionnaires were distributed to the participants on clinic day and collected on the same day. The results showed there was a significant  difference between low self-efficacy oriented HIV sero-positive patients and high self-efficacy oriented HIV sero-positive patient in death anxiety  (F1,72 = 53.84, p < 0.001). There was also significant difference between male HIV sero-positive patients and female HIV seropositive patients in  death anxiety (F1,72 = 13.48, p < 0.001). The study found that death anxiety levels were higher for male HIV sero-positive patients as compared to  female HIV sero-positive patients. While the first hypothesis was rejected: death anxiety levels differ between those with low self-efficacy HIV  positive patients and those with high self-efficacy scores in terms of their self-report of death anxiety. Discussion of the results was done, limitations  of the study were stated and recommendations given.