PILOT RANDOMIZED TRIAL OF EDUCATION TO IMPROVE SELF-MANAGEMENT SKILLSOF MEN WITH SYMPTOMATIC HIV AIDS/

Objective: To evaluate the acceptability, practicality, and short-term efficacy of a health education program to improve disease self-manage ment in patients with symptomatic HIV/AIDS. Design: Randomized control led trial, baseline and 3-month follow-up questionnaire assessments. S etting: San Francisco Bay communities. Participants: Seventy-one men w ith symptomatic HIV or AIDS were randomly assigned to a seven-session group educational intervention (N = 34) or a usual-care control group (N = 37). Intervention: Interactive health education groups were used to teach wide-ranging disease self-management skills and information: symptom assessment and management, medication use, physical exercise, relaxation, doctor-patient communication, and nutrition. Each group wa s led by two trained peer-leaders tone of whom was HIV-positive) recru ited from the community. Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcome of interest was symptom status. Secondary outcomes were self-efficacy an d health behaviors. Analysis of covariance was used to compare experim ental and control group mean outcomes, adjusting for baseline value di fferences. Results: The symptom severity index (number of symptoms mod erate or greater severity) decreased in the experimental, and increase d in the control group (-0.9 versus +0.5; p < .03). Pain, fatigue, and psychological symptoms were not significantly different between group s. Self-efficacy for controlling symptoms improved in the experimental , and decreased in the control group (+4 versus -7; p < .02). Changes in stress/relaxation exercises and HIV/AIDS knowledge were not differe nt between groups. A trend was shown toward more frequent physical exe rcise in the experimental group compared with less in the control grou p (+ 1.3 versus -0.5 times/week; p = .06). Conclusions: Health educati on emphasizing self-management skills for HIV/AIDS patients can be imp lemented and evaluated and was accepted by patients, peer-leaders, and health care providers. Whether this educational program can lead to p rolonged improvement in HIV symptoms and behaviors can be adequately a ddressed only by a larger trial of longer duration.