Health related behaviors and specific biopsychosocial factors in women with HIV/AIDS
by Johanson, Caroline M., Ph.D., TEXAS WOMAN'S UNIVERSITY, 2010, 163 pages; 3446366

Abstract:

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which progresses into Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), is a disease, the prevalence of which continues to grow. As the population of women with HIV/AIDS continues to grow, research continues to lag behind in studies addressing factors that impact quality of life. Health related behaviors, such as medication compliance, substance use and abuse, and participation in mental health treatment, impact the quality of life for women with HIV/AIDS. Utilizing the biopsychosocial model (Engel, 1977), six variables, including severity of disease, self-esteem, feminist identity, depression, anxiety, and social support of women with HIV/AIDS, were studied in regard to the three health related behaviors listed above. In the current study, women with HIV/AIDS were recruited through snowball sampling on the Internet. Participants completed seven questionnaires and scales, including a demographic questionnaire, the HIV symptoms scale, Patient health questionnaire-2, Patient health questionnaire-anxiety, Rosenberg self-esteem scale, Feminist identity development scale, and the Multidimensional scale of perceived social support. The six biopsychosocial variables were statistically analyzed using cluster analysis to examine possible groupings of participants. Three clusters were identified. One cluster included participants who did not endorse having depression or anxiety and reported higher levels of social support and self-esteem when compared to the other clusters. Another cluster included participants who endorsed having depression and lower rates of self-esteem and social support than the first cluster. The third cluster reported the highest rates of anxiety and the lowest rates of social support and self-esteem. The clusters of participants were then analyzed with a MANOVA and Pearson chi-squared tests to identify the possible impact they had on health related behaviors. Medication compliance and alcohol abuse were identified as significantly related to the participants' identified cluster. As rates of mental illness increased and rates of self-esteem and social support decreased, it was found that rates of medication noncompliance and alcohol abuse also increased.

 
AdviserKenneth Foster
SchoolTEXAS WOMAN'S UNIVERSITY
SourceDAI/B 72-04, p. , Mar 2011
Source TypeDissertation
SubjectsWomen's studies; Public health; Psychology
Publication Number3446366
Adobe PDF Access the complete dissertation:
 

» Find an electronic copy at your library.
  Use the link below to access a full citation record of this graduate work:
  http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl%3furl_ver=Z39.88-2004%26res_dat=xri:pqdiss%26rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation%26rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:3446366
  If your library subscribes to the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses (PQDT) database, you may be entitled to a free electronic version of this graduate work. If not, you will have the option to purchase one, and access a 24 page preview for free (if available).

About ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
With over 2.3 million records, the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses (PQDT) database is the most comprehensive collection of dissertations and theses in the world. It is the database of record for graduate research.

The database includes citations of graduate works ranging from the first U.S. dissertation, accepted in 1861, to those accepted as recently as last semester. Of the 2.3 million graduate works included in the database, ProQuest offers more than 1.9 million in full text formats. Of those, over 860,000 are available in PDF format. More than 60,000 dissertations and theses are added to the database each year.

If you have questions, please feel free to visit the ProQuest Web site - http://www.proquest.com - or call ProQuest Hotline Customer Support at 1-800-521-3042.