Low-income HIV-infected women and the process of engaging in healthy behavior

Tracy A Riley1, Brenda M Lewis, Mary Pat Lewis

  • 1Kent State University College of Nursing, Kent, Ohio, USA.

This cross-sectional multimethod study sought to examine the process of engaging in healthy behaviors, particularly related to stress management, in HIV-infected women with low incomes. Recruited from northeast Ohio, 42 women completed standardized research measures to assess healthy behaviors (via the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II) and the processes of change espoused by the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change; 8 of those women participated in individual semistructured interviews conducted at a later point in time to gain additional insight into the phenomenon. Participants were 25 to 60 years of age (mean 38.44 +/- 8.08) and most of the frequently reported healthy behaviors related to spiritual growth and interpersonal relations. Self-reevaluation was the process of change most frequently reported. Qualitative analysis revealed several processes women use to enhance the adoption and maintenance of healthy behaviors; some themes were adequately reflected by the Transtheoretical Model's Processes of Change, whereas a few emerged as processes not usually associated with the Transtheoretical Model. This study yielded useful preliminary information to further explore the adoption and maintenance of health-promoting behavior for HIV-infected women.

Related Concept Videos

Sexually Transmitted Infections01:26

Sexually Transmitted Infections

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are diseases transmitted primarily through unsafe sexual interactions. Bacteria, viruses, or parasites cause them and can result in severe health complications if untreated.ChlamydiaThe bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis is responsible for the disease Chlamydia, the most common STI in the United States. This peculiar pathogen requires human cells to reproduce, residing intracellularly. The initial infection often goes unnoticed because it typically does not...
Pulmonary Tuberculosis I01:29

Pulmonary Tuberculosis I

Tuberculosis, often called TB, is a contagious illness primarily caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It mainly affects the lung parenchyma but can also impact other body parts.
Causative Organism
The primary infectious agent causing tuberculosis is Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a slow-growing, acid-fast, aerobic rod that exhibits sensitivity to heat and ultraviolet light. Instances of Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium avium contributing to the development of TB infection are rare.
Mode of...
Models of Health Promotion and Illness Prevention I01:25

Models of Health Promotion and Illness Prevention I

A model is a theoretical way to understand a concept or an idea. Models can overcome barriers to health regardless of diverse economic and cultural backgrounds. In addition, models make the task easier by providing different ways to approach complex issues. There are two major health promotion models: the health belief model and the health promotion model.
The health belief model (HBM) attempts to predict health-related behavior in specific belief patterns. According to the HBM, a person's...
Levels of Health Promotion and Illness Prevention01:26

Levels of Health Promotion and Illness Prevention

Health promotion allows a person to control the determinants of health, resulting in an improved health status. It enhances the quality of life and reduces premature deaths. Health promotion and illness prevention programs help people make beneficial choices to reduce the risk of disease and disabilities. There are three health promotion and illness prevention levels: primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention.
In primary prevention, actions taken before disease onset prevent the disease from...
Retrovirus Life Cycles01:10

Retrovirus Life Cycles

Retroviruses have a single-stranded RNA genome that undergoes a special form of replication. Once the retrovirus has entered the host cell, an enzyme called reverse transcriptase synthesizes double-stranded DNA from the retroviral RNA genome. This DNA copy of the genome is then integrated into the host’s genome inside the nucleus via an enzyme called integrase. Consequently, the retroviral genome is transcribed into RNA whenever the host’s genome is transcribed, allowing the retrovirus to...
Models of Health Promotion and Illness Prevention II01:18

Models of Health Promotion and Illness Prevention II

The person's health status fluctuates continually, varying from being in good health to becoming ill and returning to being healthy. To understand the concept of illness prevention, there are two models. First, the health-illness continuum model is a graphic representation of an individual's wellness. It states that a person is considered healthy in the absence of physical disease and the presence of good emotional health.
The agent-host-environment model states that disease results from...