title: Perceptions of health and self-care learning needs of outpatients with HIV/AIDS.
abstract: Health promotion increases healthy behaviors, enhances health status, and decreases health care costs of chronically ill persons. As HIV has become a chronic illness, many HIV-positive persons may have health learning needs that affect their behaviors, health status, and health care costs. Health learning needs may be general or HIV specific. Social stigma may affect learning resource usage. We used Pender's Health Promotion Model and community-based health promotion principles as theoretical underpinnings for an exploratory study of perceived health and self-care learning needs, barriers, and preferred learning modalities of outpatients with HIV/AIDS. A nonrandom sample of 151 adults completed a researcher-designed self-report survey. Most (97%) expressed interest in health and self-care. Many identified multiple topics, learning barriers, and preferred learning modalities. A statistically significant difference (p=.027) was noted in communication needs of participants diagnosed with HIV versus AIDS. Findings have led to practice changes, health promotion activities, and further research.
authors.affiliation: The University of Texas Medical Branch School of Nursing, Galveston, TX 77555-1029, USA. nmendias@utmb.edu
authors.forename: Elnora P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Mendias
authors.forename: David P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Paar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003152:Community Health Nursing; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017145:Models, Educational; D008960:Models, Psychological; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*; D015206:Southwestern United States; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires