Peer-reviewed article
Social support and school outcomes of adolescents orphaned and made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS living in South Western Uganda
Hadiza L. Osuji, Proscovia Nabunya, William Byansi, Tyrone M. Parchment, Fred M. Ssewamala et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined how social support from family, teachers, and peers affects school outcomes for adolescents orphaned by HIV/AIDS in southwestern Uganda. Using data from a 4-year randomized controlled trial, the researchers found that emotional support from parents, classmates, and teachers, combined with caregiver warmth and family cohesion, positively influenced children's grades and attendance. The findings highlight the importance of strengthening relationships within extended families and schools to help vulnerable adolescents succeed educationally.
Key points
- Social support from multiple sources (parents, classmates, teachers) improved school grades and attendance
- Caregiver acceptance and warmth had positive effects on educational outcomes
- Family cohesion contributed to better school performance
- Study was based on 4-year randomized control trial data from 2008-2012
- Extended family and school environments can serve as protective factors for orphaned adolescents
Limitations
The document does not provide specific effect sizes, sample size details, or information about the magnitude of improvements observed. It is unclear whether the findings apply to all orphans or only those living in similar contexts in southwestern Uganda.
Abstract
The goal of this study is to examine the role of social support from multiple sources, including the extended family, caregivers, classmates, peers and teachers, in improving the school outcomes (grades and attendance) of children orphaned by AIDS in Uganda. Data for this study comes from a 4-year randomized control trial, called Suubi-Maka (Hope for families), conducted in the Southwestern part of Uganda from 2008 to 2012. Using multivariate regression modeling – controlling for several individual-level and school-level characteristics, we find that social support (perceived emotional and information support received from parents, classmates and teachers), caregiver’s acceptance and warmth, and family cohesion have positive effects on children’s school grades and attendance. This finding underscores the importance of strengthening relationships within the extended family and the school environment to serve as a net of strength that can influence not only family functioning but also vulnerable adolescents’ educational trajectories.
Findings the Hub has extracted
Each claim below is labelled by its type of design and links back to this report.
- Intervention
- Strengthening social support through extended family relationships, caregiver acceptance and warmth, and school-based peer and teacher support
- Population
- Adolescents orphaned by AIDS living in southwestern Uganda
Key finding
Perceived emotional and information support from parents, classmates, and teachers positively affected school grades and attendance
Osuji et al. · Prof. Fred M. Ssewamala (OpenAlex works) · 23 Feb 2018