Table 3.
Living Strategies Used Most (Few Times a Week) or All of the Time (Everyday) Across Age Groups of Respondents Living with HIV.a
| In the Past Month, Engaged in the Following Strategies Most (Few Times a Week) or All of the Time (Everyday), n = 935 | n (%) | <40 Years, n = 247 (26% of Sample),b (%) | 40-49 Years, n = 283 (30% of Sample),b (%) | ≥50 Years, n = 405 (43% of Sample),b (%) | χ2 P Value | Tukey Adjusted P Value <40 versus 40-49 Years | Tukey Adjusted P Value <40 versus ≥50 Years | Tukey Adjusted P Value 40-49 versus ≥50 Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Living strategies: Maintaining sense of control | ||||||||
| Lifestyle | ||||||||
| 1) I make sure I get enough sleep | 566 (60%) | 130 (53%)b,c | 166 (59%)b,d | 270 (67%)c,d | <.01e | <.01e | <.01e | <.01e |
| 2) I take a break or nap when I need to | 414 (44%) | 97 (39%)c | 119 (42%) | 198 (49%)c | .04e | .67 | <.01e | .17 |
| 3) I make sure I eat healthy | 611 (65%) | 139 (56%)c | 177 (62%)d | 295 (73%)c,d | <.01e | .17 | <.01e | <.01e |
| 4) I brush my teeth and practice good dental care | 706 (76%) | 160 (65%)b,c | 208 (74%)b,d | 338 (84%)c,d | <.01e | <.01e | <.01e | <.01e |
| 5) I exercise | 348 (37%) | 90 (36%) | 93 (33%) | 165 (41%) | .10 | - | - | - |
| 6) I take medications as discussed with my doctor (out of n = 915) | 839 (92%) | 199 (86%)c | 256 (91%)d | 384 (96%)c,d | <.01e | .17 | <.01e | <.01e |
| 7) I try to avoid people or things that stress me out | 472 (50%) | 107 (43%)c | 140 (50%) | 225 (56%)c | .01e | .17 | <.01e | .17 |
| 8) I smoke cigarettes (−) | 284 (30%) | 71 (29%) | 88 (31%) | 125 (31%) | .81 | - | - | - |
| Maintaining focus/establishing purpose | ||||||||
| 9) I focus on a hobby | 257 (28%) | 81 (33%) | 69 (24%) | 107 (26%) | .08 | - | - | - |
| 10) I focus on maintaining my health living with HIV | 509 (54%) | 115 (47%)c | 137 (48%)d | 257 (64%)c,d | <.01e | .83 | <.01e | <.01e |
| 11) I focus on things such as work, friends, and activities because HIV is not my main focus in life | 492 (53%) | 118 (48%) | 152 (54%) | 222 (55%) | .20 | - | - | - |
| 12) I make HIV the main focus of my life (+/−) | 122 (13%) | 46 (19%)c | 39 (14%)d | 37 (9%)c,d | <.01e | .33 | <.01e | <.01e |
| 13) I make maintaining my health the main focus of my life | 418 (45%) | 96 (39%)c | 121 (43%) | 201 (50%)c | .02e | .33 | <.01e | .17 |
| 14) I am involved in volunteerism, activism or advocacy related to HIV | 192 (20%) | 44 (18%) | 56 (20%) | 92 (23%) | .30 | - | - | - |
| 15) I engage in activities of artistic expression | 181 (19%) | 48 (19%) | 53 (19%) | 80 (20%) | .94 | - | - | - |
| 16) I try to manage my finances | 527 (56%) | 107 (43%)b,c | 157 (56%)b,d | 263 (65%)c,d | <.01e | <.01e | <.01e | <.01e |
| Maintaining life balance | ||||||||
| 17) I maintain a good balance or activity in my life | 372 (40%) | 96 (39%)b,c | 92 (32%)b,d | 184 (45%)c,d | <.01e | <.01e | <.01e | <.01e |
| 18) I try to stick to a daily structure or routine | 434 (46%) | 118 (48%) | 116 (41%) | 200 (49%) | .08 | - | - | - |
| 19) I prioritize and try not to “overdo it” when it comes to my daily activities | 409 (44%) | 93 (38%)c | 116 (41%)d | 200 (49%)c,d | .01e | .67 | <.01e | <.01e |
| 20) I tend to overdo it by working or volunteering long hours (−) | 151 (16%) | 43 (17%) | 44 (16%) | 64 (16%) | .82 | - | - | - |
| Planning for and anticipating the future | ||||||||
| 21) I plan for and anticipate possible changes in my health | 345 (37%) | 89 (36%) | 86 (30%)d | 170 (42%)d | .01e | .50 | .40 | .01e |
| 22) I plan ahead at work or in my daily routine for possible changes in my health such as good days and bad days | 298 (32%) | 70 (28%)c | 75 (26%)d | 153 (38%)c,d | <.01e | .83 | <.01e | <.01e |
| 23) I make “to-do” lists to help me keep on track with my daily routine | 343 (37%) | 85 (34%) | 98 (35%) | 160 (40%) | .29 | - | - | - |
| 24) I learn what I can about HIV so that I am informed about my illness | 367 (39%) | 81 (33%)c | 110 (39%) | 176 (44%)c | .03e | .33 | <.01e | .67 |
| Paying attention to the numbers | ||||||||
| 25) I pay attention to “the numbers” (viral load, CD4 count) as a way to keep on top of my health | 382 (40%) | 91 (37%) | 120 (42%) | 171 (42%) | .33 | - | - | - |
| 26) I use websites or applications to track my details | 123 (13%) | 51 (21%)b,c | 34 (12%)b | 38 (9%)c | <.01e | <.01e | <.01e | .50 |
| Living strategies: Attitudes and beliefs | ||||||||
| Positive outlook | ||||||||
| 27) I consider myself healthy living with HIV | 562 (60%) | 129 (52%)b,c | 166 (59%)b,d | 267 (66%)c,d | <.01e | <.01e | <.01e | <.01e |
| 28) I accept and value who I am; good and bad | 559 (60%) | 123 (50%)c | 160 (56%)d | 276 (68%)c,d | <.01e | .17 | <.01e | <.01e |
| 29) I have a positive outlook on life and use hope and optimism to live with HIV | 512 (55%) | 110 (44%)c | 148 (52%)d | 254 (63%)c,d | <.01e | .17 | <.01e | <.01e |
| 30) I accept that my health can fluctuate with “good days” and “bad days” living with HIV | 566 (61%) | 119 (48%)b,c | 163 (58%)b,d | 284 (70%)c,d | <.01e | <.01e | <.01e | <.01e |
| 31) I choose to believe I can survive and overcome any challenges living with HIV | 468 (50%) | 108 (44%)c | 133 (47%) | 227 (56%)c | <.01e | 1.00 | .01e | .06 |
| 32) I get upset if I don’t get to everything I set out to do in a day (−) | 198 (21%) | 61 (25%) | 59 (21%) | 78 (19%) | .25 | - | - | - |
| 33) I feel hopeless living with HIV (−) | 152 (16%) | 53 (22%)c | 46 (16%) | 54 (13%)c | .02e | .33 | <.01e | .50 |
| Faith and spirituality | ||||||||
| 34) I draw on faith and spirituality to deal with my challenges living with HIV | 206 (22%) | 38 (15%)c | 68 (24%) | 100 (25%)c | .01e | .04 | .01e | 1.00 |
| Living strategies: Blocking HIV out of the mind | ||||||||
| 35) I ignore my HIV status (−) | 134 (14%) | 45 (18%) | 35 (12%) | 54 (13%) | .12 | - | - | - |
| 36) I ignore my ‘numbers’ (CD4 count and viral load) living with HIV (−) | 137 (15%) | 39 (16%) | 43 (15%) | 55 (14%) | .71 | - | - | - |
| 37) I drink alcohol as an escape to forget the challenges living with HIV (−) | 102 (11%) | 28 (11%) | 27 (10%) | 47 (12%) | .67 | - | - | - |
| 38) I try to forget I’m living with HIV (+/−) | 261 (28%) | 69 (28%) | 79 (28%) | 113 (28%) | 1.00 | - | - | - |
| 39) I use drugs recreationally to forget the challenges living with HIV (+/−) | 108 (12%) | 34 (14%) | 30 (11%) | 44 (11%) | .44 | - | - | - |
| 40) I use sex as a way to forget the challenges of living with HIV (+/−) | 61 (6%) | 30 (12%)c | 24 (8%)d | 7 (2%)c,d | <.01e | .17 | <.01e | <.01e |
| 41) I go shopping to forget the challenges living with HIV (+/−) | 80 (9%) | 39 (16%)b,c | 20 (7%)c | 21 (5%)c | <.01e | <.01e | <.01e | .92 |
| Living strategies: Social interactionf | ||||||||
| 42) I spend time with my friends, partner, extended chosen or biological family, or pets (n = 914; not applicable: n = 21) | 397 (43%) | 108 (44%) | 112 (40%) | 177 (45%) | .48 | - | - | - |
| 43) I spend time with work (or volunteer) colleagues (n = 809; not applicable: n = 126) | 178 (22%) | 61 (27%) | 52 (20%) | 65 (20%) | .10 | - | - | - |
| 44) I spend time with people I know through religion or faith (n = 759; not applicable: n = 176) | 72 (10%) | 30 (14%)b,c | 16 (7%)b | 26 (8%)b | .02e | <.01e | <.01e | .67 |
| 45) I spend time at a community-based or AIDS service organization, either to volunteer or access their services (n = 891; not applicable: n = 44) | 164 (18%) | 42 (18%) | 44 (16%) | 78 (20%) | .44 | - | - | - |
| 46) I seek the company of others living with HIV (outside of organizations) (n = 900; not applicable; n = 35) | 138 (15%) | 45 (19%) | 39 (14%) | 54 (14%) | .22 | - | - | - |
| 47) I spend time interacting with others on the internet (eg, Facebook, Twitter, chat rooms) (n = 907; not applicable: n = 28) | 287 (32%) | 103 (43%)b,c | 82 (30%)b | 102 (26%)c | <.01e | <.01e | <.01e | .17 |
| 48) I seek the company of others by attending dinner parties or going out to restaurants (n = 906; not applicable: n = 29) | 89 (10%) | 38 (16%)b,c | 26 (10%)b | 25 (6%)c | <.01e | <.01e | <.01e | .17 |
| 49) I access a support group (either online, by telephone or in person) (n = 883; not applicable: n = 52) | 83 (9%) | 37 (16%)b,c | 21 (8%)b | 25 (6%)c | <.01e | <.01e | <.01e | .83 |
| 50) I isolate myself from others (n = 911; not applicable: n = 24) (−) | 240 (26%) | 62 (26%) | 81 (29%) | 97 (25%) | .40 | - | - | - |
| 51) I try to reduce or eliminate relationships or activities that I believe are harmful to me (n = 888; not applicable: n = 47) | 373 (42%) | 84 (36%) | 115 (43%) | 174 (45%) | .08 | - | - | - |
a(−) indicates strategies conceptualized by the Episodic Disability Framework that may have a negative influence on health (negative strategies); (+/−), either positive or negative influence on health. N = 936. Bolded indicates age groups with statistically significant highest proportion who engaged in a given strategy “most” or “all the time.”
b<40 years versus 40-49 years.
c<40 years versus ≥50 years.
d40-49 years versus ≥50 years.
e P value (unadjusted and adjusted) <.05; column percentage used to compare differences among age groups. Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding.
fSocial interaction strategies was a separate section in the survey instrument whereby for each item there was a “not applicable” response option, hence the denominator changed for each item.