How patients perceive their illness is key to how they cope with the condition. Reynolds and coworkers looked at how perceptions of HIV were related to self-care behavior and health outcomes. Survey data were collected at 16 sites in the United States, Taiwan, Norway, Puerto Rico and Colombia. A large number of HIV positive participants (n = 1,217) completed surveys based on an accepted five-part structure: identity, time-line, consequences, cause, and cure/controllability. Analyses were conducted to determine relationships among illness perceptions, self-care behaviors, and quality-of-life outcomes. Perceptions of illness were associated with self-care and health outcomes, indicating that perceptions of HIV had consequences for effective illness management. For example, the perception that little that can be done to control HIV was significantly associated with fewer and less effective self-care activities, and poorer health function in quality-of-life.

VALUE OF STUDY TO READER: The investigation showed that health perceptions offer a useful framework for understanding HIV symptom management, and may be useful in directing development of effective patient-centered interventions. Positive perceptions about their ability to help control their conditions form the foundation that patients will learn and perform self-management skills for HIV and all other chronic conditions.

N.R. Reynolds et al. HIV Illness Representation as a Predictor of Self-care Management and Health Outcomes: A Multi-site, Cross-cultural Study. AIDS Behavior, August 18, 2007.