Complex lives: resiliency of African American Women with HIV/AIDS serving as informal kinship care providers.

Using the resiliency model as a framework, this qualitative description study was designed to elicit the experiences of African American women living with HIV/AIDS serving as informal kinship care providers. Themes emerging from the interviews included (a) strengths of informal social supports, (b) benefits of living with HIV as opposed to women who are not HIV positive, and (c) negative experiences of child welfare services. Findings suggest a plethora of resources women accessed through community-based agencies because of their HIV/AIDS status, as opposed to child welfare agencies.

Delivering palliative care to patients and caregivers in inner-city communities: challenges and opportunities.

OBJECTIVE: Social and economic barriers can hinder access to quality palliative and end-of-life care for patients living in inner-city communities. Using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach, we investigated the stresses associated with living with a chronic disease and barriers to access and utilization of palliative care resources experienced by low-income patients and caregivers in five inner-city communities. METHODS: Four focus groups (N = 33) were conducted with community stakeholders, including healthcare professionals (social workers and nurses), persons living with chronic illnesses (e.g., HIV/AIDS, cardiovascular disease, and cancer), and caregivers. Focus group responses were analyzed using thematic analyses. RESULTS: Patients' and caregivers' stresses centered around five themes: lack of family support, communication barriers with healthcare professionals, minority stress, caregiver burden, and lack of spiritual support. The community stakeholders identified resources and services to improve access to care and the quality of life of underserved, low-income populations living with chronic illnesses. SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS: A CBPR approach enabled us to develop an interdisciplinary and culturally sensitive intervention to begin addressing the palliative and end-of-life needs of the patients and caregivers of the inner-city community.

Correlates of age at onset of sexual intercourse in African American adolescents living in urban public housing.

Research has found the early onset of sexual activity (having sexual intercourse before age 13) among adolescents to be related to teen pregnancy and a range of health-risk behaviors and higher rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS. These findings are most prevalent in urban African American adolescents. Using a sample of 299 sexually active African American adolescents living in public housing developments in a large Northeast and a large Mid-Atlantic city, this study assesses the influence of family, peers, and the individual on the age of onset of sexual intercourse. All participants completed surveys in their housing developments. Results indicate an average age of onset of 14. Males reported a significantly younger age of onset and more sexual partners than females. Exposure to delinquent peers and self-efficacy were significant predictors of age of onset. Implications for practice are discussed.