Prevalence, self-care behaviors, and self-care activities for peripheral neuropathy symptoms of HIV/AIDS

Authors

Patrice K. Nicholas, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Joachim Voss, University of Washington
Dean Wantland, University of California
Teri Lindgren, University of California
Emily Huang, University of California
William L. Holzemer, University of California
Yvette Cuca, University of California
Shahnaz Moezzi, University of Utah
Carmen Portillo, University of California
Suzanne Willard, Drexel University
John Arudo, Aga Khan University
Kenn Kirksey, Seton Hospital Organization
Inge B. Corless, MGH Institute of Health Professions
María E. Rosa, University of Puerto Rico - Carolina
Linda Robinson, San Diego State University
Mary J. Hamilton, TexasA & M University
Elizabeth Sefcik, TexasA & M University
Sarie Human, University of South Africa
Marta Rivero-Mendez, University of Puerto Rico
Mary Maryland, City Colleges of Chicago
Kathleen M. Nokes, City University of New York
Lucille Eller, Rutgers University
Jeanne Kemppainen, University of North Carolina Wilmington
Carol Dawson-Rose, University of California
John M. Brion, Duke University
Elli H. Bunch, University of Oslo
Maureen Shannon, University of Hawaii
Thomas P. Nicholas, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Ana Viamonte-Ros, Tallahassee
Catherine A. Bain, University of California

Document Type

Article

Department

School of Nursing and Midwifery, East Africa

Abstract

As part of a larger randomized controlled trial examining the efficacy of an HIV/AIDS symptom management manual (n = 775), this study examined the prevalence of peripheral neuropathy in HIV-infected individuals at 12 sites in the USA, Puerto Rico, and Africa. Neuropathy was reported by 44% of the sample; however, only 29.4% reported initiating self-care behaviors to address the neuropathy symptoms. Antiretroviral therapy was found to increase the frequency of neuropathy symptoms, with an increased mean intensity of 28%. A principal axis factor analysis with Promax rotation was used to assess the relationships in the frequency of use of the 18 self-care activities for neuropathy, revealing three distinct factors: (i) an interactive self-care factor; (ii) a complementary medicine factor; and (iii) a third factor consisting of the negative health items of smoking, alcohol, and street drugs. The study’s results suggest that peripheral neuropathy is a common symptom and the presence of neuropathy is associated with self-care behaviors to ameliorate HIV symptoms. The implications for nursing practice include the assessment and evaluation of nursing interventions related to management strategies for neuropathy.

Publication (Name of Journal)

Nursing and Health Sciences

Recommended Citation

Nicholas, P. K., Voss, J., Wantland, D., Lindgren, T., Huang, E., Holzemer, W. L., Cuca, Y., Moezzi, S., Portillo, C., Willard, S., Arudo, J., Kirksey, K., Corless, I. B., Rosa, M. E., Robinson, L., Hamilton, M. J., Sefcik, E., Human, S., Rivero-Mendez, M., Maryland, M., Nokes, K. M., Eller, L., Kemppainen, J., Dawson-Rose, C., Brion, J. M., Bunch, E. H., Shannon, M., Nicholas, T. P., Viamonte-Ros, A., Bain, C. A. (2010). Prevalence, self-care behaviors, and self-care activities for peripheral neuropathy symptoms of HIV/AIDS. Nursing and Health Sciences, 12, 119-126.
Available at: https://ecommons.aku.edu/eastafrica_fhs_sonam/3

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 License