This K23 application, in response to PA-11-194 to NINR, is a 3-year mentored patient-oriented research project to develop, adapt and test a self- and family-management intervention targeting HIV+ women in China to improve HIV health outcomes. The PI has extensive training experience at Columbia, University of California at San Francisco (UCSF), and the University of Washington (UW), and research experience in both domestic and international settings. Her long-term career goal is to be an independent and productive investigator in the field of HIV self- and family-management, with particular expertise in designing and implementing culturally sensitive interventions and to develop, test, implement, and evaluate an intervention in self- and family-management tailored to the Asian HIV+ population in the U.S. Training objectives for this award are to (a) gain expertise in qualitative data analysis for network text mining purposes as well as ethnographic evaluation; (b) learn gender, sexuality, and cultural adaptation skills to apply in a culturally sensitive study design; and (c) learn intervention development skills and apply them in developing a behavioral intervention for HIV+ women in China. The training activities designed to accomplish these objectives will include mentored independent study, formal course work, participation in research conferences, and design and implementation of a research project in Beijing to pilot test self- and family-intervention management among HIV+ women. This proposed research project is ambitious but feasible, as it will be coordinated with Dr. Simoni's ongoing work among HIV+ patients in Beijing and builds upon work that the PI has previously conducted with HIV+ women in Shanghai, China.
The specific aims of the research project are to: (a) conduct a secondary qualitative analysis of 68 in-depth interviews to further illuminate the sociocultural and family context of HIV+ Chinese women, (b) develop and adapt a theory-driven, culturally sensitive and feasible intervention to improve the quality of life and clinical outcomes of HIV+ Chinese women and their families, and (c) conduct a feasibility, compliance, and acceptability study for a self- and family-management intervention with 10 HIV+ women and their family members. The main goal is to adapt and develop an evidence-based culturally suitable self- and family-management intervention using Grey's self- and family-management framework. This intervention will assist HIV+ women in adjusting to their illness psychologically and socially, while helping them to decrease stress and enhance their level of social support. In the process, these women will also gain the knowledge and skills they need to cope with HIV. The applicant has chosen a seasoned mentor with extensive experience in the proposed research area, and has assembled a team of eminent academic collaborators across the U.S. and in China. Combining the skills and knowledge she has gained in her academic career thus far with the results of the proposed study, the applicant will be well positioned to submit applications as a principal investigator for further research on HIV in China.
The proposed study will address a critical public health issue by helping HIV+ women throughout China. The study will develop a self- and family-management intervention for HIV+ women in China that will impact the women's disease experience both psychologically and socially. As a result of the intervention, these women will experience a decrease in stress and an increase in social support. At the same time, they will gain knowledge and skills needed to cope with HIV.
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