Development and evaluation of a complementary and alternative medicine use survey in African-Americans with acquired immune deficiency syndrome

The involvement of people living with HIV in the development of HIV-specific or inclusive health instruments: a mixed methods review

Given recent emphasis on patient engagement in the choice and development of health measures to ensure their relevance, we examined the involvement of people living with HIV (PLHIV) in the creation of health measurement instruments that are HIV-specific or inclusive. A mixed studies review was conducted describing: 1) the sampling, recruitment and characteristics of involved PLHIV; 2) the methods and extent of their involvement; and 3) study author characterizations of this involvement. Five databases were searched in November 2015. Content and thematic analyses and a patient engagement framework guided the synthesis. Forty-one studies describing the development of thirty-nine instruments were reviewed. For many instruments, there was no reporting of the sampling method used for PLHIV involvement (87%), the recruitment setting (62%), the number of PLHIV involved (44%) or their characteristics (38%). Focus groups (38%) and interviews (36%) were the most common involvement methods. Involvement typically occurred at the patient engagement level of consultation (79%). Authors primarily characterized involvement as "contributing to instrument development" and, less frequently, as "a collaboration," "integral to instrument development" or "challenging." Patient engagement frameworks and standards for the content validation of patient-reported measures offer resources for systematic reporting, contextualizing involvement, diversifying approaches, and documenting their potentialities.

Neurobiological Mechanism of Acupuncture for Relieving Visceral Pain of Gastrointestinal Origin

It is currently accepted that the neural transduction pathways of gastrointestinal (GI) visceral pain include the peripheral and central pathways. Existing research on the neurological mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) in the treatment of GI visceral pain has primarily been concerned with the regulation of relevant transduction pathways. The generation of pain involves a series of processes, including energy transduction of stimulatory signals in the sensory nerve endings (signal transduction), subsequent conduction in primary afferent nerve fibers of dorsal root ganglia, and transmission to spinal dorsal horn neurons, the ascending transmission of sensory signals in the central nervous system, and the processing of sensory signals in the cerebral cortex. Numerous peripheral neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, and cytokines participate in the analgesic process of EA in visceral pain. Although EA has excellent efficacy in the treatment of GI visceral pain, the pathogenesis of the disease and the analgesic mechanism of the treatment have not been elucidated. In recent years, research has examined the pathogenesis of GI visceral pain and its influencing factors and has explored the neural transduction pathways of this disease.

Development and evaluation of the R-I-CAM-Q as a brief summative measure of CAM utilisation

OBJECTIVE

This study evaluates a revised version of the I-CAM-Q, the R-I-CAM-Q, which is a shorter scale, and suitable for use as a brief, summative measure of CAM utilisation.

DESIGN

Online survey with an Australian sample (n=2697).

ANALYSIS

The psychometric properties of the I-CAM-Q were analysed using Mokken Scaling Analysis and Structural Equation Modelling.

RESULTS

A subset of items were identified as having an adequate uni-dimensional structure that can be aggregated to yield a scalar measure of CAM utilisation. Certain items, including prayer for health purposes, and chiropractic, were not indicative of general CAM use.

CONCLUSIONS

The R-I-CAM-Q provides a unitary, aggregate measure of CAM utilisation that provides scope for replicable research into the determinants of CAM use. It is the first quantitative and summative measure of general CAM use, developed and tested using modern psychometric methods.

The reasons for using acupuncture for pain relief

Background:

Acupuncture has recently received considerable attention around the world due to its cost-effectiveness, few side effects, and well-established analgesic properties.

Objectives:

The present study aimed to identify the factors that might lead to using acupuncture for pain relief.

Patients and Methods:

This qualitative study was conducted using conventional content analysis method. The study population included eight patients and six highly experienced acupuncturists, who were able to express their opinion and were willing to take part in the study. The inclusion criteria for patients were being under treatment with acupuncture for pain relief or a history of treatment during the last year and age > 18 years. All highly trained acupuncturists with minimum of one-year active experience were included. The data were collected via semi-structured in-depth interviews. Categories were extracted through inductive analysis and codes and eventually, themes emerged. Data rigor was assured by data collection triangulation, participants’ variety, and external and members’ check.

Results:

Initially, 1311 primary codes were extracted, then the related codes were divided into 127 subcategories according to their similarities, and after reduction and integration process, 16 categories were developed from subcategories and eventually five themes were determined, including conventional medicine limitation, efficacy of acupuncture, external promoters, internal promoters, and acupuncture inhibitors.

Conclusions:

The important factors that affect choosing acupuncture for pain relief included conventional medicine limitations, external promoters, internal promoters, acupuncture efficacy, and acupuncture inhibitors. More interest can be drawn to this technique by basic planning to enhance some of the underlying factors and eliminate obstacles to its further applicability.

Using the theory of planned behavior to explore attitudes and beliefs about dietary supplements among HIV-positive Black women

BACKGROUND

This cross-sectional study investigated whether the theory of planned behavior (TPB) constructs: attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control were related to intention of dietary supplements use among African-American women living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus and/or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS).

METHODS

A closed-ended questionnaire based on the TPB was utilized to explore the use of dietary supplements among a cohort of 153 HIV-positive African-American women.

RESULTS

Overall, 45% of the respondents used dietary supplements to manage/control their HIV. Combined, attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control were significant predictors of intention toward dietary supplement use (69% of the variance explained, p<0.0001). Attitudes (β=0.23, p<0.001) and perceived behavioral control (β=0.45, p<0.0001) were found to be significant independent predictors of intention. Behavioral intention and proximal TPB constructs (attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control), as well as their underlying beliefs about dietary supplements use, were all found to be significantly more positive in users of dietary supplements compared to non-users (p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Results showed that attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control are important predictors in the intention to use dietary supplements for control of HIV among African-American women. Implications from this study suggest that the TPB can be used to better identify and understand salient beliefs that surround intentions to use alternative therapies for management of disease. These beliefs can be used to develop interventions surrounding HIV treatment and care.

Prevalence and predictors of complementary and alternative medicine use in African-Americans with acquired immune deficiency syndrome

BACKGROUND: The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-positive individuals is becoming increasingly widespread. Unfortunately, some CAM therapies may jeopardize the efficacy of conventional HIV medication, making it critical to understand CAM use among this population. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence and predictors of CAM use in a theory-driven, multidimensional manner. METHODS: African-American individuals who had received a diagnosis of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) were recruited. The computer-administered survey asked questions about participants' CAM use and various psychosocial and socio-demographic characteristics. Participants' most recent CD4+ cell counts and HIV RNA levels were abstracted from medical records. Linear regression analyses, adjusted for potential confounders, were conducted to assess the independent contribution of various factors in explaining frequency of CAM use. RESULTS: One hundred and eighty two subjects participated in the survey. Results indicate that most (94%) participants used at least one type of CAM therapy. The majority of participants (79.7%) used CAM therapies as a complement (rather than an alternative) to their HIV medications though half had not discussed these therapies with their healthcare providers. Female sex, high yearly income, high health literacy and high HIV RNA levels were associated with a greater frequency of CAM use, while stronger emotional well-being was associated with a lower frequency of CAM use. CONCLUSIONS: The implications of these findings are discussed and suggestions for future research are provided.