Impact of children's age on parental HIV disclosure: a parental HIV disclosure intervention among parents living with HIV in China

Parental HIV disclosure, where parents living with HIV (PLH) communicate their diagnosis to their children, is crucial for family communication. This study assessed intervention effects of a parental HIV disclosure intervention on psychosocial factors, focusing on child's age impact. Data from a randomized controlled trial involving 791 PLH in China were analyzed at baseline (W1), 6-month (W2), and 12-month follow-ups (W3). The study measured effects on psychosocial factors (HIV disclosure knowledge, outcome expectancy, action self-efficacy, and action planning) using the proportional latent change score method. Among PLH with children aged 6-9, the intervention yielded significant intervention effects on knowledge (beta = 0.190, p = .004), action self-efficacy (beta = 0.342, p = .001), and action planning (beta = 0.389, p < .001) from W1 to W2. For PLH with children aged 10-12, the intervention significantly enhanced action self-efficacy (beta = 0.162, p = .003) and action planning (beta = 0.367, p = .001) from W1 to W2, but there was a reduction in perceived benefits (beta = -0.175, p = 0.024) from W2 to W3. For PLH with children aged 13-15, significant intervention effects were observed on action planning, both from W1 to W2 (beta = 0.251, p = .045) and from W2 to W3 (beta = 0.321, p < .001). These findings highlight the importance of tailoring interventions to consider psychosocial factors and children's developmental stages to enhance HIV disclosure practices.