title: Spirituality: a cultural strength for African American mothers with HIV.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to describe how spirituality affected the lives of African American mothers with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in the context of coping. This qualitative descriptive study used secondary data of interviews from a larger longitudinal study of parental caregiving of infants seropositive for HIV. Participants were 38 African American mothers with HIV. Data from longitudinal semi-structured interviews were analyzed using content analysis. The women dealt with the stresses of HIV through a relationship with God. Two domains explain this relationship: God in control and God requires participation. The benefits of their relationship with God were a decrease in stress and worry about their own health and that of their infants. It is important for nurses working with mothers with HIV to acknowledge their spirituality and assess how spirituality helps them cope with and manage their illness.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Rebecca L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Polzer Casarez
authors.forename: Margaret Shandor
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Miles
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000193:education / Q000208:ethnology*; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D009035:Mothers / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D024802:Nurse's Role / Q000523:psychology; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D016487:Parenting / Q000208:ethnology; D010327:Pastoral Care; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D012944:Social Support; D015144:Southeastern United States; D029181:Spirituality; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires