Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 17, 2026

Measuring Frailty in HIV-infected Individuals. Identification of Frail Patients is the First Step to Amelioration and Reversal of Frailty
Published on: July 24, 2013
Self-help and life quality in persons with HIV disease
1University of Texas-Houston, Health Science Center, School of Nursing 77030, USA.
Abstract:
This study examined factors contributing to life quality in persons with HIV disease. Selected concepts and statements in a model designed to explain self-help and life quality in persons with chronic conditions were tested. Eighty-three persons with a diagnosis of HIV disease (58% with AIDS) completed a demographic profile and four instruments to measure dependence for help with daily living, enabling skills, self-help and life quality. The instruments had been used by researchers testing the Self-Help Model on persons with other chronic diseases. Direction and magnitude of the relationships, revealed through causal modelling procedures, were consistent with previous tests of the model. Diagnosis of AIDS explained 29% of the variance in dependency, but had no explanatory value for enabling skill. Enabling skill (beta = 0.32) and dependency (beta = -0.49) explained 33% of the variance in self-help. Self-help (beta = 0.59) explained 34% of the variance in life quality. Results suggest that self-help is influenced negatively by dependency and positively by enabling skill. Enabling skill appears to mediate the negative effect of dependency on self-help and can be a target of interventions to improve quality of life in persons with HIV disease.
Related Concept Videos
Retrovirus Life Cycles
Classification of Illness
An illness is a response to a disease in which the person's level of functioning is changed compared with a previous level. The general classification of illness includes acute and chronic.
Acute illness is severe and...
Pulmonary Tuberculosis I
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...
Lifestyle Factors and Health
Benefits of Physical Activity
Physical activity, whether through structured exercise or casual activities like walking, biking, or dancing, is a cornerstone of a...
Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques VI
Motivation and Self-Determination
Motivation, the driving force behind behavior, plays a pivotal role at every stage of the change process. The research...
Self-Help Support Groups
Accessibility and Cost-Effectiveness
One of the primary strengths of self-help...

