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Psychosocial And Physiologic Correlates Of Perceived Health Among Hiv-Infected Women, Kenneth D. Phillips, R.L. Sowell, C.J. Rush, C.L. Murdaugh

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Nursing

The purpose of this study was to identify factors related to perception of physical health in a cohort of HIV-infected women. A descriptive correlational design was used to identify factors influencing perceived physical health in a sample of 275 HIV-infected women in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. Participants were predominantly single African-American women with household incomes of less than $10,000 per year.

Using Spearman’s rho, statistically significant positive correlations (p < .05) were found between perceived physical health and T helper cell count, hope, present life satisfaction, education, and income. Statistically significant positive correlations (p <.05) were observed between perceived physical health and three HIV-specific active coping styles (managing the illness, focusing on others, and positive thinking). Inverse relationships were observed between perceived physical health and HIVrelated symptoms, stage of illness, depression, physical and sexual violence experienced since becoming HIV-infected, history of drug use since becoming HIV-infected, and age. Using backward stepwise selection, 9 of 14 variables were retained in the final model that explained 60% of the variance in physical health at the p < .10 level of significance (R2 = .60). Variables that demonstrated a significant relationship with perceived physical health were HIV-related symptoms, depression, present life satisfaction, age, education, coping by managing the illness, coping through positive thinking, and coping by focusing on the present. These findings support the need to address the psychosocial as well as the physiologic factors associated with HIV/AIDS in developing comprehensive plans of nursing care.

Psychosocial Predictors Of Women's Physical Health In Middle Adulthood, Sandra Thomas

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Nursing

Although health is a key element in one's experience of middle adulthood as a time of productivity and personal fulfillment, research on psychosocial factors predictive of mid-life health is sparse, especially for women. Psychosocial variables are not only highly salient to health, but also are potentially modifiable by women themselves. This study employed a multivariate, multitheoretical approach to the study of health, examining a variety of psychosocial predictors (locus of control/mastery, psychological well-being, role quality, social network ties, optimism, and demographic variables) in a secondary analysis of data collected by Baruch and Barnett on 238 women. Subjects were divided into …

Predictors Of Health In Middle Adulthood, Sandra Thomas

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Nursing

There is increasing acceptance of the premise that growth and development continue throughout adult life and, as life expectancy has lengthened, there is a much expanded mid-life period. Yet, middle adulthood has been neglected as an area of theoretical and empirical examination. Adults (N=251) in middle adulthood (age 35-55) completed instruments measuring current health status, health locus of control, health value, health habits, self-management effectiveness, stressful life events, social support, genetic predisposition, gender, level of education, and income. The results indicated that internal locus of control was positively related to total self-management, health self-management, and health habits, while chance locus …