SYMPTOMS AND ILLNESS BEHAVIORS OF HIV-INFECTED ADULTS

对于患有HIV疾病的个体来说，由于对常见症状的各种合理解释（例如，疲劳、头痛、体重变化、记忆和视力问题）。这些解释可能包括疾病本身、药物副作用、压力、心理状态以及与药物滥用史相关的身体问题。 在老年感染者中，症状评估可能特别令人困惑，因为与正常衰老相关的身体变化以及先前存在或共病的疾病的存在。这项拟议的研究将调查老年人（50岁以上）如何解释，评估和应对常见的艾滋病毒疾病和治疗症状。 具体而言，该研究将侧重于1）症状评估; 2）对症状的应对反应; 3）旨在缓解症状的自我护理活动; 4）症状评估对治疗接受和依从性的影响;以及5）对常见疾病和治疗相关症状的情绪和心理反应。定性方法将用于收集和分析数据。将从各种纽约市社区来源招募总共100名老年艾滋病毒感染者。 研究者和临床访谈者将在两次会议上进行重点访谈和一系列标准化测量。症状评估和反应是理解的重要过程，因为它们可能影响医疗保健系统使用的适当性。 它们还可能影响自我护理、坚持治疗方案和心理健康。 所有这些都是适应可能成为慢性疾病的生活的重要因素，因为越来越多的人在感染后活得更长，并且在快速变化的医疗保健系统中这样做。

For individuals living with HIV-disease, sympton appraisal is often a puzzling and distressing endeavor due to a variety of plausible explanations for commonly experienced symptoms (e.g., fatigue, headaches, weight changes, memory and vision problems). These explanations may include the disease itself, medication side-effects, stress, psychological states, and physical problems associated with a history of substance abuse. Among older infected adults, symptom appraisal may be especially perplexing due to the physical changes associated with normal aging and the presence of pre-existing or co-morbid illnesses. The proposed study will investigate how older (age 50 plus) individuals interpret, evaluate and respond to common HIV-illness and treatment symptoms. Specifically, the study will focus on 1) symptom appraisal; 2) coping responses to symptoms; 3) self-care activities aimed at symptom relief; 4) the influence of symptom appraisal on treatment acceptance and adherence; and 5) emotional and psychological responses to common disease and treatment- related symptoms. Qualitative methods will be used to gather and analyze the data. A total of 100 older HIV-infected individuals will be recruited from a variety of New York City community-based sources. Focused interviews and a small battery of standardized measures will be administered by the study investigators and clinican interviewers over two sessions. Symptom appraisal and response are important processes to understand since they may influence the appropriateness of health care system use. They may also influence self-care, adherence to treatment regimens and psychological well-being. All of which are important factors in adapting to life with what may become a chronic illness as more people live longer with the infection and do so within the context of a rapidly changing health care system.