title: Language and Culture in Health Literacy for People Living with HIV: Perspectives of Health Care Providers and Professional Care Team Members.
abstract: Low health literacy has been linked to inadequate engagement in care and may serve as a contributor to poor health outcomes among people living with HIV and AIDS. The purpose of this paper was to examine the perspectives of health care providers and professional care team members regarding health literacy in HIV disease. A secondary data analysis was conducted from a qualitative study aimed at understanding factors that help an HIV positive person to manage their HIV disease. Data were collected from sites in Botswana, the US, and Puerto Rico. In the parent study, data were collected through focus group discussions with 135 people living with HIV, 32 HIV health care providers (HCPs), and 39 HIV professional care team members (PCTMs). SPSS was used to analyze quantitative data while ATLAS.ti was used to analyze qualitative data. The findings from analyses of the perspectives of HCPs/PCTMs suggested that linguistic and cultural factors were important themes in the exchange of HIV information between health care providers and PLHIV. These themes included ineffective communication, health seeking behavior, cultural facilitators, and complementary and alternative/traditional healing methods. Thus, this study suggests that language and culture have a major role in health literacy for PLHIV.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana.
authors.forename: Keitshokile Dintle
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Mogobe
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana.
authors.forename: Sheila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shaibu
authors.affiliation: HIV and AIDS Coordination Office, University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana.
authors.forename: Ellah
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Matshediso
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana.
authors.forename: Motshedisi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sabone
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana.
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ntsayagae
authors.affiliation: Global Health and Academic Partnerships, Brigham and Women's Hospital and MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, MA 02120, USA.
authors.forename: Patrice K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Nicholas
authors.affiliation: UCSF School of Nursing, San Francisco, CA 94143-0608, USA.
authors.forename: Carmen J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Portillo
authors.affiliation: MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, MA 02129, USA.
authors.forename: Inge B
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Corless
authors.affiliation: UCSF School of Nursing, San Francisco, CA 94143-0608, USA.
authors.forename: Carol Dawson
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Rose
authors.affiliation: UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA.
authors.forename: Mallory O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44122, USA.
authors.forename: Allison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Webel
authors.affiliation: UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA.
authors.forename: Yvette
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cuca
authors.affiliation: University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR, USA.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rivero-Méndez
authors.affiliation: Center for Nursing Research, University of Puerto Rico-Recinto de Ciencias Medicas, San Juan, PR, USA.
authors.forename: Solymar S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Solís Báez
authors.affiliation: Hunter College, CUNY, New York, NY 10010, USA.
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nokes
authors.affiliation: HELP/PSI, Yonkers, NY 10701, USA.
authors.forename: Darcel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Reyes
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC 28403, USA.
authors.forename: Jeanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kemppainen
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC 28403-5995, USA.
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.affiliation: Rutgers University School of Nursing, Newark, NJ 07102, USA.
authors.forename: Lucille
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sanzero Eller
authors.affiliation: Rutgers University School of Nursing, Newark, NJ 07102, USA.
authors.forename: Teri
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lindgren
authors.affiliation: Rutgers University School of Nursing, Newark, NJ 07102, USA.
authors.forename: William L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Holzemer
authors.affiliation: Rutgers University School of Nursing, Newark, NJ 07102, USA.
authors.forename: Dean
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wantland