QUALITY OF LIFE IN UNITED STATES SOLDIERS WITH HIV INFECTION (IMMUNE DEFICIENCY).
Contributors: Catholic University of America.
Published: 1994
Number of pages: 195
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Psychology, Clinical.
Description: The spread of AIDS is well into its second decade and has moved quickly into the ranks of the nation's top killers. Despite the intense search for a cure, antiviral drugs have been largely a disappointment. As different strategies for treatment are investigated, quality of life issues become a hallmark for the HIV-infected patient population.

The purpose of this cross sectional study was to examine the relationships among and between health locus of control, social support, sickness impact, life satisfaction, and quality of life in soldiers at different stages of HIV infection. This study included a total of 140 male HIV-infected military members at different stages of the disease process from Walter Reed Stage 1 to Stage 6.

The following hypotheses were tested: (a) There will be significant differences between the stage of illness and the quantitative measures of health locus of control, social support, sickness impact, life satisfaction, and quality of life among HIV-infected soldiers; (b) Level of education, income, satisfaction in the military, stress being HIV-infected in the military, time in service, and years ill will predict quality of life in soldiers with HIV infection.

The findings of the one-way multivariate analysis of variance partially supported hypothesis one. Standard discriminant function coefficients showed 4 large contributors: internal health locus of control, physical sickness impact, health and functioning capability, and socioeconomic status. The post hoc analysis revealed that the soldiers in the later stages of illness were less internally controlled, had a higher physical sickness impact, were less satisfied with health and functioning capabilities, and were more satisfied with socioeconomic status than subjects in the earlier stages.

Multiple regression analysis was used to test hypothesis two. The dependent variable was the score on the Quality of Life Index. The independent variables were level of education, income, satisfaction in the military, stress of being HIV-infected in the military, time in service, and years ill. Using the stepwise multiple regression model, satisfaction in the military accounted for 11% of the variance. An increased satisfaction in the military was associated with higher levels of quality of life.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 56-02, Section: B, page: 0746.

Thesis (D.N.SC.)--THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA, 1994.

School code: 0043.