Low-Income HIV-Infected Women and the Process of Engaging in Healthy Behavior

This cross-sectional multimethod study sought to examine the process of engaging in healthy behaviors, particularly related to stress management, in HIV-infected women with low incomes. Recruited from northeast Ohio, 42 women completed standardized research measures to assess healthy behaviors (via the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II) and the processes of change espoused by the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change; 8 of those women participated in individual semistructured interviews conducted at a later point in time to gain additional insight into the phenomenon. Participants were 25 to 60 years of age (mean 38.44 ± 8.08) and most of the frequently reported healthy behaviors related to spiritual growth and interpersonal relations. Self-reevaluation was the process of change most frequently reported. Qualitative analysis revealed several processes women use to enhance the adoption and maintenance of healthy behaviors; some themes were adequately reflected by the Transtheoretical Model's Processes of Change, whereas a few emerged as processes not usually associated with the Transtheoretical Model. This study yielded useful preliminary information to further explore the adoption and maintenance of health-promoting behavior for HIV-infected women.

Key words: HIV-infected women, multimethod, transtheoretical model, disease management, health promotion