Uche, Chukwudum; Abdulkadri, Abdullahi O.
A methodological framework for the study of impacty of HIV/AIDS on households in the Caribbean sub-region
Objective The aim of this paper is to present a rigorous methodological framework and instrument for the study of the impact of HIV/AIDS on households in the Caribbean countries. Design Demographic analysis has long recognized that the use of marital status categories does not adequately capture the complexity of the family system in the Caribbean and Latin American region where consensual unions are common (Roberts, 1975). Therefore, studies of the impact of HIV/AIDS in Caribbean households must take this reality into account because households' capacity to deal with HIV/AIDS is closely related to the varying resources at the disposal of each union type. Selection of a sample from databases needs to be sensitive to this situation not only to ensure representative findings but to capture the varieties of intervention possibilities. Using recent data for Jamaica, propose the proportion of each union category that should be included in a random sample for a study of HIV/AIDS impact on Jamaica households. Even in situations in which a national probability sample is not possible, these proportions should guide the researcher. Finally, provide a draft instrument which attempts to capture the dynamics in the households before the onset of HIV/AIDS and after, thus facilitating the measurement of various impacts more concretely. Results The composition of the study sample should be married 18%, common law 20%, visiting and friends 36% and no steady partner 26%.....