Impact of family-based economic empowerment on AIDS-orphaned children's psychosocial functioning in Uganda

Aim: The aims of this paper are to: 1) examine the effect of a family-based economic empowerment intervention on orphaned children's psychosocial functioning; and 2) examine whether reported savings by children and their families in the course of intervention moderates the effect of the intervention on the indicated outcomes.

Methods: We use longitudinal panel data from a cluster randomized control trial consisting of two study arms: treatment condition (n=179); and a control condition (n=167). Data were collected at baseline, 12-month, and 24-month follow-up. Multilevel regression is used, and differential changes in outcome variables over time are measured at 12 months and at 24 months.

Results: Our findings demonstrate significant effect of a family-based economic empowerment intervention on orphaned children's psychological well-being. At Wave 3, children in the treatment group reported higher scores on Tennessee Self-Concept scale (B= 3.5, 95% CI= 0.8; 6.2, p<0.01) and lower scores on the Beck Hopelessness Scale (B= -1.6, 95% CI= -2.3; -0.8, p<0.000), compared to children in the control group. In regard to education aspirations, the effect of economic empowerment was significant at Wave 2—children in the treatment group reported having higher education aspirations (B= 0.4, 95% CI= 0.002; 0.7, p<0.05), compared to children in the control group. Results, however, did not hold at Wave 3. Results demonstrate significant moderator effect of economic performance in the intervention on children's reported self-concept.

Policy implications: Our findings point to the importance of economic empowerment in addressing AIDS-children's psychosocial functioning.