Faculty Collaboration Database

Acceptability, Feasibility, and Preliminary Impact of 4 Remotely-Delivered Interventions for Rural Older Adults Living with HIV. AIDS Behav 2024 Apr;28(4):1401-1414

Date

01/04/2024

Pubmed ID

38170275

DOI

10.1007/s10461-023-04227-5

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-85181232928 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)

Abstract

People living with HIV (PLH) who live in rural areas of the United States (US) face more challenges to obtaining medical care and suffer higher mortality rates compared to non-rural PLH. Compared with younger PLH, older PLH (age 50+) also face additional challenges to maintaining their health and wellbeing. Despite the heightened barriers to receiving care and remaining adherent to treatment among older rural PLH, few interventions to increase viral suppression and improve quality of life exist for this population. We pilot-tested four remotely-delivered interventions-group-based social support, group-based stigma-reduction, individual strengths-based case management, and individual technology detailing-aimed to improve care engagement and quality of life in rural older PLH in the southern US. Participants (N = 61, M_age = 58, 75% male) completed surveys and self-collected blood specimens at baseline and 3 months; in between, they were randomized to 0-4 interventions. We assessed feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary impact on medication adherence, viral suppression, quality of life, depressive symptoms, and hypothesized mediating mechanisms. More than 80% participated in assigned intervention(s), and 84% completed the study. Interventions were highly acceptable to participants, with more than 80% reporting they would recommend interventions to peers. More than 80% found the social support and case management interventions to be relevant and enjoyable. We found promising preliminary impact of interventions on quality of life, medication adherence, depressive symptoms, internalized stigma, and loneliness. Remotely-delivered interventions targeting rural older PLH are feasible to conduct and acceptable to participants. Larger scale study of these interventions is warranted.

Author List

Walsh JL, Quinn KG, Hirshfield S, John SA, Algiers O, Al-Shalby K, Giuca AM, McCarthy C, Petroll AE

Authors

Steven A. John PhD Associate Professor in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Andrew Petroll MD Professor in the Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Katherine Quinn PhD Associate Professor in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Jennifer L. Walsh PhD Associate Professor in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Aged
Feasibility Studies
Female
HIV Infections
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Quality of Life
Rural Population
Social Support