People living with HIV/AIDS encounter many psychological, physiological, and cognitive symptoms, such as pain, diarrhea, fever, fatigue, depression, and confusion. These symptoms have been found to restrict a person's daily life significantly. Self-management of multiple HIV and medication side effects symptoms and maintaining optimal quality of life have, therefore, become major daily tasks for people living with HIV/AIDS.
This study is a randomized controlled trial with a two-group repeated measures design to test the efficacy of the symptom management manual. Two groups (experimental and control) will be assessed in a repeated measures design at 3 time points: baseline (time 0), one month (time 1), and two months (time 2). Data will be analyzed using longitudinal mixture modeling.
Comparison(s): HIV-positive patients receiving a symptom management manual and orientation to the manual, compared to HIV-positive patients receiving a nutrition manual and orientation to the manual.
