title: Cigarette smoking behaviors and beliefs in persons living with HIV/AIDS.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure biopsychosocial domains related to tobacco use in persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs).
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional interview study of 60 PLWHA smokers randomly selected from an HIV clinic.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants averaged 14.4 cigarettes daily.  Sixty-five percent were moderately or highly nicotine dependent, and most were motivated to quit. Substance use and depression were very common. Most reported that smoking helped them cope with depression, anxiety, and anger. Twenty-seven percent thought (mistakenly) that smoking raised their  T-cell counts and/or helped fight infections. Referrals to quitlines or cessation programs were uncommon.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Smoking among PLWHAs is a challenging problem requiring targeted intervention strategies.
authors.affiliation: AIDS Center and Division of Infectious Diseases, Montefiore Medical Center and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA. jshuter@montefiore.org
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shuter
authors.forename: Steven L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Bernstein
authors.forename: Alyson B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Moadel
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D057240:Patient Preference / Q000523:psychology; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012649:Self Concept; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D012944:Social Support; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data