Quality of life and self-care management strategies of PLWAs with chronic diarrhea.

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1999. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Quality of life and self-care management strategies of PLWAs with chronic diarrhea.

J Assoc Nurses AIDS Care. 1999 Mar-Apr;10(2):46-54. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/99164803
Henry SB; Holzemer WL; Weaver K; Stotts N; Department of Community Health Systems, University of California,; San Francisco, USA.

Abstract: A case control design was used to examine quality of life and self-care management strategies in persons living with AIDS (PLWAs) with chronic diarrhea. PLWAs without chronic diarrhea (n = 20) as compared to those with chronic diarrhea (n = 20) reported significantly higher general health perceptions (p = .028). In contrast, comparisons on symptom status scores revealed that PLWAs without chronic diarrhea reported greater fatigue (p = .05), greater psychological distress (p = .005), and greater gastrointestinal discomfort (p = .01). Although the intensity of chronic diarrhea was reported as moderate to severe by 85% of the sample, no single category of self-care management strategies was used by more than 65% of respondents. The number of categories of self-care management activities was significantly correlated with general health perceptions. The study findings support the need to test nursing interventions aimed at improving symptom management in chronic diarrhea and facilitating self-care behaviors including those focused on increasing adherence to prescribed therapeutic regimens.

Keywords: JOURNAL ARTICLE Adaptation, Psychological Adult Case-Control Studies Chronic Disease Diarrhea/*PREVENTION & CONTROL/*PSYCHOLOGY/VIROLOGY Fatigue/ETIOLOGY Female Human HIV Infections/*COMPLICATIONS Male Nursing Methodology Research Pilot Projects *Quality of Life Self Care/*METHODS/*PSYCHOLOGY Severity of Illness Index Stress, Psychological/ETIOLOGY Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
990730
A9971211

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