Quality of life and the concept of "living well" with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa.

Purpose: To increase understanding of the meaning of quality of life for people living with HIV/AIDS in four countries in sub-Saharan Africa: Botswana, Lesotho, South Africa, and Swaziland.

Methods: Using a cross-sectional design and convenience sample, we administered a survey and collected data on demographic characteristics, measures of severity of illness, and perceptions of quality of life. The purposefully selected sample (N=743) consisted of community-based people living with HIV/AIDS in 2002.