title: Self-care behaviors and activities for managing HIV-related anxiety.
abstract: The goal of this study was to identify the baseline prevalence and effectiveness of anxiety self-management strategies in a convenience sample of persons living with HIV (PLWH; n = 343) in the United States, Puerto Rico, Kenya, and South Africa who reported HIV-related anxiety symptoms. Relationships between demographics and anxiety characteristics were determined, as was the effectiveness of self-care activities/behaviors to reduce anxiety. We found that the use of anxiety self-management strategies varied by gender and that ratings of effectiveness varied by country. Highest anxiety intensity scores were found in participants who were taking antiretroviral medications and who had undetectable viral loads. Forty-five percent of the persons with a diagnosis of AIDS reported anxiety symptoms. As HIV increases in areas of the world where self-care is the primary approach to managing HIV, additional research will be needed to address the effectiveness of cross-cultural differences in strategies for self-managing HIV-related anxiety.
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Jeanne K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Kemppainen
authors.forename: Dean
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wantland
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Voss
authors.forename: Patrice
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nicholas
authors.forename: Kenn M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Kirksey
authors.forename: Inge B
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Corless
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Willard
authors.forename: William L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Holzemer
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: Mary Jane
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sefcik
authors.forename: Lucille Sanzero
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Eller
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Arudo
authors.forename: Shahnaz
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moezzi
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rivero-Mendez
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.forename: Sarie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Human
authors.forename: Yvette
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cuca
authors.forename: Terri
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lindgren
authors.forename: Carmen J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Portillo
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maryland
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017954:Africa South of the Sahara / Q000453:epidemiology; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011647:Puerto Rico / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012648:Self Care; D012737:Sex Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology