CLINICAL ISSUESThe Fatigue Experience for Women With Human Immunodeficiency Virus
Section snippets
Conceptual Framework
The proposed study was guided by Lee, Lentz, Taylor, Mitchell, and Woods’ (1994) conceptual model of the demands and resources that influence fatigue placed within the context of McBride and McBride’s (1981) theoretical framework for women’s health. Within this model and framework, a woman’s fatigue experience is influenced by her contextual environment, and her health problems cannot be examined without consideration of that context. For the purpose of this study, a woman’s health is
Sample
A cross-sectional, descriptive design was used to describe the multifaceted environment of a convenience sample of 100 ethnically diverse women with HIV. Women were recruited from four agencies that primarily provide care for Medi-Cal/Medicaid clients in northern California. To be included in the study, women had to be: 1) 18 years of age or older, 2) able to understand and sign an English consent form, and 3) seropositive for HIV. For the purpose of this study, women were excluded if there
Sociocultural Environment
The convenience sample of 100 women in this study reflects the ethnic makeup of those with HIV in the San Francisco Bay area. There were 59 African American women, 27 European American women, and 14 English-speaking Hispanic American women. Most were unemployed (82%) but reported doing some volunteer work. Most (60%) were high school educated; eight women had completed college, and five women had not completed grade school. Most (73%) reported a net family annual income of less than $10,000;
Conclusions
This sample of women with HIV reflects the demographic profile of women with HIV in California. The range of infection severity, as assessed by CD4 cell count, is representative of the population of persons with HIV in the United States. None of these women were taking protease inhibitors when the study was conducted. Whether this was because of a lack of resources or lack of information from their health care provider remains unknown. As a group, these women perceived high levels of fatigue
Implications for Women’s Health Care Providers
Nurses care for people with HIV at many points in the health care system (Bradley-Springer, Schwanberg, & Frank, 1994). The current and future health problems for someone with HIV primarily involve fever, anemia, pain, infection, depression, and disturbed sleep cycles associated with immune dysfunction. In addition, medications used in the treatment of HIV often produce adverse side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. These side effects also can exacerbate a patient’s experience of
Acknowledgment
This research was supported by The National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) R01 NR03969.
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