Moderating role of social support in the relationship between pain and health-related quality of life among people living with HIV: a cross-sectional study

Pain is a prevalent and debilitating symptom among people living with HIV (PLWH) with negative impacts on their health and well-being. Studies examining factors that may mitigate the impacts of pain on health outcome variables are scarce. This study examined the moderating role of social support in the relationship between pain and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among PLWH in Nigeria. One hundred and ninety-six (196) PLWH completed measures of pain, social support, and HRQoL. Results showed that Pain was negatively associated with HRQoL and that social support was positively associated with HRQoL. The result also showed that social support moderated the relationship between pain and HRQoL. This finding highlights the importance of social support in ameliorating the impact of pain on the health of people living with HIV.