Beliefs about complementary and alternative medicine in HIV-infected black women using the theory of planned behavior

Background. This study utilized a mixed methods design and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to assess whether HIV-positive Black women's attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control were related to intention to use dietary supplements and spiritual practices in their HIV treatment.

Methods. For phase one, grounded theory methods were used to explore attitudes surrounding complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use. Based on this exploration, we developed and administered a questionnaire that focused on intention to use dietary supplements and spiritual practices for treatment of HIV. HIV medication adherence was also assessed.

Results. The qualitative interviews revealed that participants used CAM to help improve their immune function; respondents believed that God was in control of their HIV health; and lastly, respondents believed that using CAM provided a sense of control over their HIV treatment. For the quantitative phase, 153 Black women completed the questionnaire. Attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control were found to be significant predictors of intention for dietary supplement use, as part of HIV care. However, only attitude and perceived behavioral control were found to be significant independent predictors. For intention to engage in spiritual practices, all TPB related items were found to be significant independent predictors. For HIV medication adherence, a chi-square analysis revealed that there was no significant difference in adherence between users and non-users of dietary supplements.

Conclusion. Implications from this study suggest that health educators should use the TPB to better understand salient beliefs of CAM use among HIV-positive individuals.