Webel Research Lab

Understanding the Management of Chronic Disease in Women Living with HIV/AIDS (MANAGE)

Years: 2009-2012

Background

Self-management is a central health goal and is defined as the day to day decisions patients make to manage their illnesses. Several instruments have been created to assess self-management for specific diseases. However, these instruments have many limitations and have been unable to conceptualize the dynamic nature of self-management in individuals living with HIV. Therefore, the MANAGE research study had three aims:

  1. Understand self-management as practiced by women living with HIV/AIDS in the context of their lives;
  2. Describe the domains of self-management among women living with HIV/AIDS and draft an instrument to measure those domains; and
  3. Develop and validate a survey measuring self-management for women living with HIV/AIDS.

Research Design

Each aim had its own study design, as determined by the research question. The first aim was achieved with a descriptive qualitative study and we conducted 12 focus groups consisting of 6-8 participants per group.

To address the second aim we conducted a descriptive qualitative study, one focus group (n = 7) of women living with HIV, one focus group with HIV experts (n = 2), and one focus group of self-management experts (n = 5) to assess the new self-management instrument. The instrument was revised using the feedback.

To address the third aim we conducted a cross-sectional, descriptive study. We recruited, obtained consent, and administered a packet of self-reported measures, containing the new self-management instruments, to women living with HIV/AIDS (n = 260). The completed, cleaned data set was analyzed to explore the validity and reliability of the Self-Management Instrument.

Results

A final scale was developed with 20 items covering three domains of HIV Self-Management.

Korean Translation

Kim, G. S., Chu, S. H., Park, Y., Choi, J. Y., Lee, J. I., Park, C. G., & McCreary, L. L. (2015). Psychometric Properties of the Korean Version of the HIV Self-Management Scale in Patients with HIV. Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing, 45(3), 439-448. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26159145.

Research Team

Principal Investigator

  • Allison R. Webel, RN, PhD, FAAN, University of Washington School of Nursin g

Co-Investigators

  • Jennifer Okonsky, RN, PhD, University of California, San Francisco
  • Yvette Cuca, MPH, PhD, University of California, San Francisco
  • Alice Asher, RN, CNS, PhD(c), University of California, San Francisco
  • Chris Burant, PhD, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University
  • Alphoncina Kaihura, RN, University of California, San Francisco
  • Roberta A Salata, MD, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

Research Publications

  • Webel, A.R. & Higgins, P. (2012) The relationship between social roles and self-management behavior in women living with HIV/AIDS. Women’s Health Issues. 22(1): e27-33. PMCID: PMC3206212.
  • Webel, A.R., Dolansky, M., Henry, A. & Salata, R. (2012) A Qualitative Description of Women’s HIV Self-Management Techniques: Context, Strategies, And Considerations. Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care. 23(4): 281-93. PMCID: PMC3288777
  • Webel, AR., Asher, A., Cuca, Y., Okonsky, JO., Burant, C., Kaihura, A., Hanson, J., Dawson-Rose, C., & Salata, R. (2012) Measuring HIV Self-Management in Women Living with HIV/AIDS: A Psychometric Evaluation Study of the HIV Self-Management Scale. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. 60(3):e72-e81 PMCID: PMC3383929
  • Webel, AR., Cuca, Y., Okonsky, JG, Asher, AK., Kaihura, A & Salata, RA. (2013) The Impact of Social Context on Self-Management in Women Living with HIV. Social Science and Medicine. 87, 147-154 PMCID: PMC3656470
  • Okonsky, J. G., Webel, A., Dawson-Rose, C., Johnson, M., Asher, A., Cuca, Y., Kaihura, A., Hanson, J. & Portillo, C. J. (2014). Not Just Simply Forgetting: Appreciating Reasons for Non-adherence in Women by Adherence Level and Regimen. International Health Care for Women. 1-9.(In Press) PMID: 24654887
  • Cuca, Y.P., Asher, A., Okonsky, J., Kaihura, A., Dawson-Rose, C. and Webel, A. HIV stigma and social capital in women living with HIV. Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care.

Research Presentations

Media Publications

The development of the HIV Self-Management Scale was supported by funds from the National Institutes of Health (5 KL2 TR000440, 1UL1 RR024989, TL1 RR024129, T32 NR007081, & P30 NR010676) in the United States.