Animals 2022, 12(11), 1449; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12111449 - 3 Jun 2022
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Long-term HIV/AIDS survivors responded online concerning their experiences during the AIDS and COVID pandemics. Recruited from web-based organizations for AIDS survivors, 147 answered questions on: frequency of experiencing stigma, isolation, aloneness, or grief/sadness; pet ownership; and sources of human support during each pandemic.
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Long-term HIV/AIDS survivors responded online concerning their experiences during the AIDS and COVID pandemics. Recruited from web-based organizations for AIDS survivors, 147 answered questions on: frequency of experiencing stigma, isolation, aloneness, or grief/sadness; pet ownership; and sources of human support during each pandemic. Conditional inference trees were run to identify relevant demographic factors. Post-hoc comparisons were conducted to compare dog owners and cat owners. AIDS survivors reported more frequent feelings of stigma, aloneness, and sadness/grief during the AIDS pandemic than during COVID. Cat owners’ sadness/grief during AIDS was greater than non-owners. During COVID, older respondents unexpectedly were less often sad/grieving than younger ones; dog owners less often felt alone and isolated than non-dog owners. Support during the AIDS pandemic retrospectively was rated better for older respondents; young gays’ support was greater than young straights. During COVID, support was better for men than women. Contrastingly, women with pets felt less support than those without; men with dogs felt more support than those without. Cat owners more often felt isolated and unsupported during COVID than dog owners. Few dog or cat owners received support from family members in either pandemic; during AIDS, family support was better for owners of dogs than cats.
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Figure 1
Figure 1
<p><b>Stigma of AIDS versus COVID</b>. Respondents who were more than 60 years of age more often rated the AIDS pandemic as involving significantly more stigma than the COVID pandemic, as compared with younger respondents.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p><b>Demographic factors affecting aloneness during AIDS.</b> Respondents older than 70 years of age felt alone significantly less often during the AIDS pandemic than younger respondents: Node 2: x<sup>−</sup> = 1.965, SD 1.1489; Node 3: x<sup>−</sup> = 1.048, SD 1.0235.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p><b>Demographic factors affecting aloneness during COVID</b>. Male respondents felt alone less frequently than females, and men with dogs felt alone even less frequently than men without dogs: Node 2: x<sup>−</sup> = 1.7, SD 1.0554; Node 4: x<sup>−</sup> = 1.444, SD 1.2152; Node 5: x<sup>−</sup> = 0.98, SD 1.072.</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p><b>Demographic factors affecting isolation during AIDS.</b> Respondents older than 70 years of age felt isolated less often during AIDS than those who were younger: Node 2: x<sup>−</sup> = 1.912, SD 1.1641; Node 3: x<sup>−</sup> = 1.048, SD 1.1609.</p> Full article ">Figure 5
<p><b>Demographic factors affecting isolation during COVID.</b> Respondents with a dog felt isolated less frequently than those without a dog: Node 2: x<sup>−</sup> = 2.061, SD 1.180; Node 3: x<sup>−</sup> = 1.677, SD 1.0623.</p> Full article ">Figure 6
<p><b>Demographic factors affecting sadness/grief during AIDS.</b> Respondents who had a cat during the AIDS pandemic more often felt sadness and grief than those who did not have a cat at that time: Node 2: x<sup>−</sup> = 2.321, SD 0.9837; Node 3: x<sup>−</sup> = 2.72, SD 1.0693.</p> Full article ">Figure 7
<p><b>Demographic factors affecting sadness/grief during COVID.</b> Respondents 40 years of age or younger felt sadness/grief more often than those who were older; those over 40 years of age through age 70 were sad or grieving more often than those over 70 years of age: Node 2: x<sup>−</sup> = 2.714, SD 0.7559; Node 4: x<sup>−</sup> = 1.832, SD 0.9417; Node 5: x<sup>−</sup> = 1.429, SD 1.0282.</p> Full article ">Figure 8
<p><b>Demographic factors associated with ratings of human support during AIDS.</b> Respondents over 60 years of age rated their human support more highly than younger respondents: those over 70 years of age gave even higher ratings; among younger respondents, gays gave higher ratings than straights: Node 3: x<sup>−</sup> = 2.308, SD 1.2506; Node 4: x<sup>−</sup> = 3.409, SD 1.272; Node 6: x<sup>−</sup> = 3.571, SD 1.1258; Node 7: x<sup>−</sup> = 4.125, SD 0.8062.</p> Full article ">Figure 9
<p><b>Demographic factors associated with ratings of human support during COVID.</b> Men reported greater human support than women, and men with dogs gave still higher ratings of their human support than men without dogs: Node 2: x<sup>−</sup> = 3.345, SD 0.934; Node 4: x<sup>−</sup> = 3.683, SD 0.9809; Node 5: x<sup>−</sup> = 4.094, SD 0.7662.</p> Full article ">
<p><b>Stigma of AIDS versus COVID</b>. Respondents who were more than 60 years of age more often rated the AIDS pandemic as involving significantly more stigma than the COVID pandemic, as compared with younger respondents.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p><b>Demographic factors affecting aloneness during AIDS.</b> Respondents older than 70 years of age felt alone significantly less often during the AIDS pandemic than younger respondents: Node 2: x<sup>−</sup> = 1.965, SD 1.1489; Node 3: x<sup>−</sup> = 1.048, SD 1.0235.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p><b>Demographic factors affecting aloneness during COVID</b>. Male respondents felt alone less frequently than females, and men with dogs felt alone even less frequently than men without dogs: Node 2: x<sup>−</sup> = 1.7, SD 1.0554; Node 4: x<sup>−</sup> = 1.444, SD 1.2152; Node 5: x<sup>−</sup> = 0.98, SD 1.072.</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p><b>Demographic factors affecting isolation during AIDS.</b> Respondents older than 70 years of age felt isolated less often during AIDS than those who were younger: Node 2: x<sup>−</sup> = 1.912, SD 1.1641; Node 3: x<sup>−</sup> = 1.048, SD 1.1609.</p> Full article ">Figure 5
<p><b>Demographic factors affecting isolation during COVID.</b> Respondents with a dog felt isolated less frequently than those without a dog: Node 2: x<sup>−</sup> = 2.061, SD 1.180; Node 3: x<sup>−</sup> = 1.677, SD 1.0623.</p> Full article ">Figure 6
<p><b>Demographic factors affecting sadness/grief during AIDS.</b> Respondents who had a cat during the AIDS pandemic more often felt sadness and grief than those who did not have a cat at that time: Node 2: x<sup>−</sup> = 2.321, SD 0.9837; Node 3: x<sup>−</sup> = 2.72, SD 1.0693.</p> Full article ">Figure 7
<p><b>Demographic factors affecting sadness/grief during COVID.</b> Respondents 40 years of age or younger felt sadness/grief more often than those who were older; those over 40 years of age through age 70 were sad or grieving more often than those over 70 years of age: Node 2: x<sup>−</sup> = 2.714, SD 0.7559; Node 4: x<sup>−</sup> = 1.832, SD 0.9417; Node 5: x<sup>−</sup> = 1.429, SD 1.0282.</p> Full article ">Figure 8
<p><b>Demographic factors associated with ratings of human support during AIDS.</b> Respondents over 60 years of age rated their human support more highly than younger respondents: those over 70 years of age gave even higher ratings; among younger respondents, gays gave higher ratings than straights: Node 3: x<sup>−</sup> = 2.308, SD 1.2506; Node 4: x<sup>−</sup> = 3.409, SD 1.272; Node 6: x<sup>−</sup> = 3.571, SD 1.1258; Node 7: x<sup>−</sup> = 4.125, SD 0.8062.</p> Full article ">Figure 9
<p><b>Demographic factors associated with ratings of human support during COVID.</b> Men reported greater human support than women, and men with dogs gave still higher ratings of their human support than men without dogs: Node 2: x<sup>−</sup> = 3.345, SD 0.934; Node 4: x<sup>−</sup> = 3.683, SD 0.9809; Node 5: x<sup>−</sup> = 4.094, SD 0.7662.</p> Full article ">
