Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 15, 2026

Comprehensive & Cost Effective Laboratory Monitoring of HIV/AIDS: an African Role Model
23:56

Comprehensive & Cost Effective Laboratory Monitoring of HIV/AIDS: an African Role Model

Published on: October 31, 2010

Support group membership and perceptions of control over health in HIV+ men

K R Fontaine1, L McKenna, L J Cheskin

  • 1Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA. krf@welchlink.welch.jhu.edu

Journal of Clinical Psychology
|April 1, 1997
PubMed

Insights

Membership in AIDS support groups enhances health control perceptions for HIV-positive gay and bisexual men. Support group participants believe more in self and professional influence on health, and less in chance.

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Public Health
  • Sociology

Background:

  • HIV/AIDS affects gay and bisexual men disproportionately.
  • Health locus of control is crucial for managing chronic conditions like HIV.
  • Support groups offer vital resources for individuals living with HIV/AIDS.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare health-related control perceptions between HIV-positive gay/bisexual men in AIDS support groups and those not in groups.
  • To investigate the influence of support group membership on health locus of control in this population.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving 115 HIV-positive gay and bisexual men in Britain.
  • Utilized the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale (MHLC) for data collection.
  • Compared responses between participants who were members of an AIDS support group and those who were not.

Main Results:

  • Support group members reported a higher perception of personal control over their health.
  • HIV+ men in support groups perceived health professionals (powerful others) as more influential on their health.
  • Support group participation was associated with a lower belief in chance as a determinant of health.

Conclusions:

  • Belonging to an AIDS support group positively influences health locus of control among HIV-positive gay and bisexual men.
  • Support groups may empower individuals to take a more active role in managing their health.
  • Interventions promoting support group engagement could enhance health management strategies for this demographic.

More Related Videos

New Tools to Expand Regulatory T Cells from HIV-1-infected Individuals09:27

New Tools to Expand Regulatory T Cells from HIV-1-infected Individuals

Published on: May 30, 2013

An Affordable HIV-1 Drug Resistance Monitoring Method for Resource Limited Settings19:57

An Affordable HIV-1 Drug Resistance Monitoring Method for Resource Limited Settings

Published on: March 30, 2014

Related Concept Videos

Healthcare Agencies I01:18

Healthcare Agencies I

Healthcare agencies provide healthcare services to people. In the United States, voluntary agencies are often non-profit centers sponsored by donations, grants, or fundraisers. One such organization is Meals on Wheels, which provides meals to the elderly and homebound. The American Heart Association and the American Lung Association are other non-profit community organizations. Doctors and nurses are frequently active members of these organizations, which offer health checks and educational...
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...
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...
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...
Self-Help Support Groups01:28

Self-Help Support Groups

Self-help support groups are voluntary, community-based organizations that provide a platform for individuals with shared concerns to exchange support, insights, and practical strategies for coping with life challenges. Typically led by group members or paraprofessionals, these groups form a cornerstone of mental health care, especially in reaching populations that are underserved by traditional healthcare systems.
Accessibility and Cost-Effectiveness
One of the primary strengths of self-help...
Amebiasis01:28

Amebiasis

Entamoeba histolytica, a protozoan parasite, is responsible for intestinal and extraintestinal amebiasis. Though a significant proportion of infections remain asymptomatic, approximately 50 million individuals annually are estimated to present with clinical disease, resulting in up to 100,000 deaths globally. The disease burden is disproportionately high in regions with lower socioeconomic status, such as parts of India, Africa, Mexico, and Latin America.Etiology and TransmissionThe infective...