Testing the efficacy of culturally adapted coping skills training for Chinese American immigrants with type 2 diabetes using community-based participatory research.

Chinese Americans demonstrate greater prevalence of diabetes than non-Hispanic whites and find standard diabetes care disregards their cultural health beliefs. Academic researchers and Chinatown agencies collaborated to culturally adapt and test an efficacious cognitive-behavioral intervention using community-based participatory research. Using a delayed-treatment repeated-measures design, 145 adult Chinese immigrants with Type 2 diabetes completed treatment. Immediate benefits of treatment were evident in the improvement (p < .05) in diabetes self-efficacy, diabetes knowledge, bicultural efficacy, family emotional and instrumental support, diabetes quality of life, and diabetes distress. Prolonged benefits were evident in all changed variables 2 months post-intervention. The CBPR approach enabled the development of a culturally acceptable, efficacious behavioral intervention, and provides a model for working with communities that demonstrate health disparities.

When is diabetes distress clinically meaningful?: establishing cut points for the Diabetes Distress Scale.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the pattern of relationships between the 17-item Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS17) and diabetes variables to establish scale cut points for high distress among patients with type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Recruited were 506 study 1 and 392 study 2 adults with type 2 diabetes from community medical groups. Multiple regression equations associated the DDS17, a 17-item scale that yields a mean-item score, with HbA(1c), diabetes self-efficacy, diet, and physical activity. Associations also were undertaken for the two-item DDS (DDS2) screener. Analyses included control variables, linear, and quadratic (curvilinear) DDS terms. RESULTS: Significant quadratic effects occurred between the DDS17 and each diabetes variable, with increases in distress associated with poorer outcomes: study 1 HbA(1c) (P < 0.02), self-efficacy (P < 0.001), diet (P < 0.001), physical activity (P < 0.04); study 2 HbA(1c) (P < 0.03), self-efficacy (P < 0.004), diet (P < 0.04), physical activity (P = NS). Substantive curvilinear associations with all four variables in both studies began at unexpectedly low levels of DDS17: the slope increased linearly between scores 1 and 2, was more muted between 2 and 3, and reached a maximum between 3 and 4. This suggested three patient subgroups: little or no distress, <2.0; moderate distress, 2.0-2.9; high distress, ≥3.0. Parallel findings occurred for the DDS2. CONCLUSIONS: In two samples of type 2 diabetic patients we found a consistent pattern of curvilinear relationships between the DDS and HbA(1c), diabetes self-efficacy, diet, and physical activity. The shape of these relationships suggests cut points for three patient groups: little or no, moderate, and high distress.

Patients with type 2 diabetes at risk for major depressive disorder over time.

PURPOSE: We wanted to identify risk factors associated with the development of major depressive disorder (MDD) among patients with type 2 diabetes over time. METHODS: In a noninterventional study, 338 adult patients with type 2 diabetes and no MDD diagnosis at baseline were assessed 3 times during 18 months (9-month intervals) to ascertain predictors of MDD. We tested a model incorporating personal, behavioral, biologic, and psychosocial variables to identify predictors of MDD. Exploratory analyses tested whether current negative affect mediated the relationship between predictors and subsequent MDD. We also conducted a stratified analysis of moderate vs high negative affect to explore whether level of baseline negative affect mediated the relationship between specific predictors and MDD. RESULTS: Prior MDD and negative affect predicted future development of MDD. In subpopulations stratified by moderate negative affect, negative life events, an elevated body mass index (BMI), prior MDD, and poor control of glycated hemoglobin (hemoglobin A(1c)) each predicted MDD. In subpopulations stratified by elevated negative affect, negative life events and poor control of hemoglobin A(1c) predicted MDD. Current negative affect partially mediated the relationship between prior MDD and subsequent MDD, as well as the relationship between negative life events and subsequent MDD. CONCLUSIONS: Although negative affect at baseline was the primary predictor of subsequent MDD, when stratified by negative affect, negative life events, BMI, and poor control of hemoglobin A(1c) also predicted MDD. Thus, life stresses and patients' disease-related concerns are important when understanding what predicts subsequent MDD. Addressing depressive symptoms and broader life context issues expands the scope of a potential intervention to reduce the risk of developing MDD in persons with type 2 diabetes.

Additive effects of numbness and muscle aches on fatigue occurrence in individuals with HIV/AIDS who are taking antiretroviral therapy.

CONTEXT: Muscle aches, numbness in the feet/toes (neuropathy), and fatigue are often reported concurrently and are among the symptoms most frequently reported by individuals with HIV/AIDS, whether or not they are taking antiretroviral therapy (ART). OBJECTIVES: This study used a longitudinal analytical methodology to analyze these symptoms together to determine whether symptom clusters are maintained over time and to determine whether there is a temporal relationship between fatigue and reports of neuropathic pain and muscle aches. METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of a subset of data from a six-month, longitudinal, randomized, controlled trial of 243 HIV-positive individuals taking ART. Self-reported symptom frequency and intensity were recorded using the Revised Sign and Symptom Checklist for Persons with HIV disease at baseline (Month 0), one, three, and six months. Multilevel, logistic regression models were used to analyze time-lagged effects of muscle aches, numbness of the feet/toes, and fatigue to estimate any predictive and interactive effects that the symptoms have upon one another. RESULTS: A significant relationship between muscle aches and fatigue intercepts was noted (odds ratio [OR]=1.80, P≤0.05). Significant relationships between numbness and fatigue also were noted for the entire measurement period (OR=2.70, P≤0.05). Time-lagged models showed persons reporting neuropathic-related numbness in one period were nearly twice as likely to report fatigue in subsequent periods (OR=1.89, P≤0.05). The final model revealed that the addition of muscle aches and numbness explained 28% of the random variance in the occurrence of fatigue. Between-person descriptive variables including years living with HIV, age, having an AIDS diagnosis, ethnicity, and nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor treatment regimens with stavudine, zalactabine, or didanosine did not significantly explain any additional model variation. CONCLUSION: These findings are consistent with physiological research and provide evidence that analyzing multiple symptom change over time can provide a more accurate representation of an individual's symptom experience. When evaluating patients with muscle aches or numbness, particularly when both symptoms are present, an evaluation of fatigue should be considered. Similarly, if fatigue is reported, underlying physiological assessments for neuropathic symptoms and muscle aches may be considered.

Patient age: a neglected factor when considering disease management in adults with type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: The average age at diagnosis for type 2 diabetes is decreasing. However, because age is most often controlled for in clinical research, little is known regarding how adult age is associated with diabetes disease-related variables. METHODS: In a community based study with type 2 diabetes patients (N=506), after adjusting for potentially confounding variables, we examined associations between patients' age and: stress, depression, diabetes-related distress, self-efficacy, diet, exercise, and glycemic control. We then explored to what extent age interacts with these variables in their association with glycemic control. RESULTS: Younger age was independently associated with: greater chronic stress and negative life events, higher levels of diabetes-related distress, higher depressed affect, eating healthier foods and exercising less frequently, lower diabetes self-efficacy, and higher HbA1c. Interactions showed that younger patients with high stress and/or low self-efficacy were more likely to have higher HbA1c levels than older patients. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest younger adult patients with type 2 diabetes represent a unique patient subgroup with specific needs and health risks based on their developmental stage and life context. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Treatment programs need to target younger adult patients and may need to utilize different media or modalities (e.g., social media) to reach this group.

Perceived HIV stigma and life satisfaction among persons living with HIV infection in five African countries: a longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: Descriptive literature exists on the effects of HIV-related stigma on the lives of people living with HIV infection but few empirical studies have measured perceived HIV stigma nor explored its potential relationship to quality of life (QoL) over time in people living with HIV infection. AIM: A cohort study of a purposive convenient sample of 1457 HIV-positive persons was followed for one year in a longitudinal design that examined the effects of stigma and the life satisfaction dimension of the HIV/AIDS Targeted Quality of Life Instrument (HAT-QOL) over time, as well as the influence of other demographic and assessed social variables. Data were collected three times about six months apart from December 2005 to March 2007. RESULTS: The average age in this sample was 36.8 years (SD=8.78, n=1454) and 72.7% (n=1056) were female. The initial sample of participants was balanced among the five countries: Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa, Swaziland, and Tanzania. An attrition analysis demonstrated few demographic differences between those who remained in the study 12 months later compared with those at baseline. However, those who completed the study and who answered the QoL questions had significantly higher life satisfaction scores at baseline than those who left the study. There was a general increase in the report of life satisfaction QoL in all countries over the one-year period. However, as stigma scores increased over time there was a significant decrease in life satisfaction with differing rates of change by country. Certain factors had a positive influence on life satisfaction QoL: positive HIV media reports, taking antiretrovirals, reduced symptom intensity, and disclosure to a friend. CONCLUSION: This cohort study is the first to document empirically in a longitudinal sample, that perceived HIV stigma has a significantly negative and constant impact upon life satisfaction QoL for people with HIV infection. In the absence of any intervention to address and reduce stigmatization, individuals will continue to report poorer life satisfaction evidenced by reduced living enjoyment, loss of control in life, decreased social interactivity, and decreased perceived health status.

Diabetes distress but not clinical depression or depressive symptoms is associated with glycemic control in both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the concurrent, prospective, and time-concordant relationships among major depressive disorder (MDD), depressive symptoms, and diabetes distress with glycemic control. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: In a noninterventional study, we assessed 506 type 2 diabetic patients for MDD (Composite International Diagnostic Interview), for depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression), and for diabetes distress (Diabetes Distress Scale), along with self-management, stress, demographics, and diabetes status, at baseline and 9 and 18 months later. Using multilevel modeling (MLM), we explored the cross-sectional relationships of the three affective variables with A1C, the prospective relationships of baseline variables with change in A1C over time, and the time-concordant relationships with A1C. RESULTS: All three affective variables were moderately intercorrelated, although the relationship between depressive symptoms and diabetes distress was greater than the relationship of either with MDD. In the cross-sectional MLM, only diabetes distress but not MDD or depressive symptoms was significantly associated with A1C. None of the three affective variables were linked with A1C in prospective analyses. Only diabetes distress displayed significant time-concordant relationships with A1C. CONCLUSIONS: We found no concurrent or longitudinal association between MDD or depressive symptoms with A1C, whereas both concurrent and time-concordant relationships were found between diabetes distress and A1C. What has been called "depression" among type 2 diabetic patients may really be two conditions, MDD and diabetes distress, with only the latter displaying significant associations with A1C. Ongoing evaluation of both diabetes distress and MDD may be helpful in clinical settings.

The impact of taking or not taking ARVs on HIV stigma as reported by persons living with HIV infection in five African countries.

AIM: This study examined the impact of taking or not taking antiretroviral (ARV) medications on stigma, as reported by people living with HIV infection in five African countries. DESIGN: A two group (taking or not taking ARVs) by three (time) repeated measures analysis of variance examined change in reported stigma in a cohort sample of 1454 persons living with HIV infection in Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa, Swaziland, and Tanzania. Participants self-reported taking ARV medications and completed a standardized stigma scale validated in the African context. Data were collected at three points in time, from January 2006 to March 2007. Participants taking ARV medications self-reported a mean CD4 count of 273 and those not taking ARVs self-reported a mean CD4 count of 418. RESULTS: Both groups reported significant decreases in total HIV stigma over time; however, people taking ARVs reported significantly higher stigma at Time 3 compared to those not taking ARVs. DISCUSSION: This study documents that this sample of 1454 HIV infected persons in five countries in Africa reported significantly less HIV stigma over time. In addition, those participants taking ARV medications experienced significantly higher HIV stigma over time compared to those not taking ARVs. This finding contradicts some authors' opinions that when clients enroll in ARV medication treatment it signifies that they are experiencing less stigma. This work provides caution to health care providers to alert clients new to ARV treatment that they may experience more stigma from their families and communities when they learn they are taking ARV medications.

Daily negative mood affects fasting glucose in type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between mood and blood glucose in a 21-day daily diary study. DESIGN: During a home visit, information was gathered from 206 persons with Type 2 diabetes regarding demographics, disease characteristics and treatment, and depressive symptoms. They had blood drawn at a laboratory, yielding HbA1C. The participants were then telephoned each evening for 21 days and were asked about their positive and negative mood during the past 24 hours. They also tested their blood glucose upon rising in the morning. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The main outcomes measures were positive and negative affect and fasting glucose. RESULTS: Multilevel analyses revealed a relationship between negative affect on one day and morning glucose on the next day. There was no such relationship between positive affect and glucose, nor was there a comparable effect of glucose on one day and either positive or negative affect on the next day. CONCLUSION: The observed relationship between mood and blood glucose appears to be because of negative affect, not positive, with no evidence of a lagged effect of glucose on mood.

Focus group study of ethnically diverse low-income users of paid personal assistance services.

This study examined the experiences of ethnically diverse, low-income consumers of paid personal assistance services (PAS) to understand the successes and problems they faced setting up and maintaining their assistance. A thematic analysis was conducted with transcripts from eight focus groups of ethnically homogeneous consumers (n = 67): African American, Latino, Chinese, Native American, and non-Hispanic white. These experienced consumers were generally satisfied with their current PAS but noted significant difficulties: Getting access to appropriate care, obtaining enough paid care to avoid unmet need, and dealing with confusing bureaucracies and cultural differences between them and agency staff/attendants. They desired more control over their care, including the use of paid family attendants when possible. Respondents recommended improved screening and training of attendants, more attendant time, higher wages for attendants, improved cultural sensitivity of attendants and agency staff, and greater consumer control over PAS. Although these low-income PAS consumers are ethnically and geographically diverse, the similarity of findings points to their ongoing struggle to access adequate high quality assistance. The burden they have in obtaining and maintaining services is substantial.

HIV stigma and missed medications in HIV-positive people in five African countries.

The availability of antiretroviral medications has transformed living with HIV infection into a manageable chronic illness, and high levels of adherence are necessary. Stigma has been identified as one reason for missing medication doses. The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between perceived HIV stigma and self-reported missed doses of antiretroviral medications in a 12-month, repeated measures cohort study conducted in Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa, Swaziland, and Tanzania. Data were collected from 1457 HIV-positive individuals at three times between January 2006 and March 2007. Participants completed a series of questionnaires. Of the 1457 participants, 698 were taking ARVs during the study and are included in this analysis. There was a significant relationship between perceived HIV stigma and self-report of missed medications over time (t = 6.04, p

The development and validation of the HIV/AIDS Stigma Instrument - Nurse (HASI-N).

Illness-related stigma remains a serious problem in the management of HIV disease in Africa. This article describes a series of study phases conducted to develop and validate an instrument to measure HIV/AIDS-related stigma as perpetrated and experienced by nurses. Data were collected in Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa, Swaziland and Tanzania, from 2004-2006. The first phase was a qualitative study with focus group participants (n=251) to gather emic and etic descriptions of HIV/AIDS-related stigma in the five countries. Based on the qualitative data, a 46-item instrument was developed and tested during a second phase in the same five countries (n=244). The result of this phase was a 33-item, three-factor instrument with an average Cronbach alpha of 0.85. A third phase tested the instrument in 1474 nurses. The result was a final 19-item instrument, the HIV/AIDS Stigma Instrument - Nurse (HASI-N), comprised of two factors (Nurses Stigmatizing Patients and Nurses Being Stigmatized) with a Cronbach alpha of 0.90. Concurrent validity was tested by comparing the level of stigma with job satisfaction and quality of life. A significant negative correlation was found between stigma and job satisfaction. The HASI-N is the first inductively derived instrument measuring stigma experienced and enacted by nurses. It has the potential to be used not only to measure stigma, but also to develop stigma-reduction interventions.

Development of a brief diabetes distress screening instrument.

PURPOSE: Previous research has documented that diabetes distress, defined as patient concerns about disease management, support, emotional burden, and access to care, is an important condition distinct from depression. We wanted to develop a brief diabetes distress screen instrument for use in clinical settings. METHODS: We assessed 496 community-based patients with type 2 diabetes on the previously validated, 17-item Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS17) and 6 biobehavioral measures: glycated hemoglobin (HbA(1c)); non-high-density-lipoprotein (non-HDL) cholesterol; kilocalories, percentage of calories from fat, and number of fruit and vegetable servings consumed per day; and physical activity as measured by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. RESULTS: An average item score of > or =3 (moderate distress) discriminated high- from low-distressed subgroups. The 4 DDS17 items with the highest correlations with the DDS17 total (r = .56-.61) were selected. Composites, comprised of 2, 3, and 4 of these items (DDS2, DDS3, DDS4), yielded higher correlations (r=.69-.71). The sensitivity and specificity of the composites were .95 and .85, .93 and .87, and .97 and .86, respectively. The DDS3 had a lower sensitivity and higher percentages of false-negative and false-positive results. All 3 composites significantly discriminated subgroups on HbA(1c), non-HDL cholesterol, and kilocalories consumed per day; none discriminated subgroups on fruit and vegetable servings consumed per day; and only the DDS3 yielded significant results on the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Because of its psychometric properties and brevity, the DDS2 was selected as a screening instrument. CONCLUSIONS: The DDS2 is a 2-item diabetes distress screening instrument asking respondents to rate on a 6-point scale the degree to which the following items caused distress: (1) feeling overwhelmed by the demands of living with diabetes, and (2) feeling that I am often failing with my diabetes regimen. The DDS17 can be administered to those who have positive findings on the DDS2 to define the content of distress and to direct intervention.

Validation of the HIV/AIDS Stigma Instrument - PLWA (HASI-P).

This article describes the development and testing of a quantitative measure of HIV/AIDS stigma as experienced by people living with HIV/AIDS. This instrument is designed to measure perceived stigma, create a baseline from which to measure changes in stigma over time, and track potential progress towards reducing stigma. It was developed in three phases from 2003-2006: generating items based on results of focus group discussions; pilot testing and reducing the original list of items; and validating the instrument. Data for all phases were collected from five African countries: Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa, Swaziland and Tanzania. The instrument was validated with a sample of 1,477 persons living with HIV/AIDS from all of the five countries. The sample had a mean age of 36.1 years and 74.1% was female. The participants reported they knew they were HIV positive for an average of 3.4 years and 46% of the sample was taking antiretroviral medications. A six factor solution with 33 items explained 60.72% of the variance. Scale alpha reliabilities were examined and items that did not contribute to scale reliability were dropped. The factors included: Verbal Abuse (8 items, alpha=0.886); Negative Self-Perception (5 items, alpha=0.906); Health Care Neglect (7 items, alpha=0.832); Social Isolation (5 items, alpha=0.890); Fear of Contagion (6 items, alpha=0.795); and Workplace Stigma (2 items, alpha=0.758). This article reports on the development and validation of a new measure of stigma, HIV/AIDS Stigma Instrument - PLWA (HASI-P) providing evidence that supports adequate content and construct validity, modest concurrent validity, and acceptable internal consistency reliability for each of the six subscales and total score. The scale is available is several African languages.

Paid personal assistance services:an exploratory study of working-age consumers' perspectives.

This study examined the experiences of individuals who use paid personal assistance services (PAS). Structured interview data were collected from a convenience sample of 24 working-age individuals from diverse backgrounds recruited from Centers for Independent Living in nine states. Respondents described their general satisfaction with current paid PAS, but many reported previous experiences with poor care related to the low wages, lack of training of PAS providers, and an inadequate supply of providers. Respondents reported many unmet needs because of a shortage of hours provided by state programs and the lack of help with daily living activities, transportation, childcare, and social activities. The respondents strongly preferred consumer-directed care.

Clinical depression versus distress among patients with type 2 diabetes: not just a question of semantics.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine differences between structured interviews, symptom questionnaires, and distress measures for assessment of depression in patients with diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We assessed 506 diabetic patients for major depressive disorder (MDD) by a structured interview (Composite International Diagnostic Interview [CIDI]), a questionnaire for depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale [CESD]), and on the Diabetes Distress Scale. Demographic characteristics, two biological variables (A1C and non-HDL cholesterol), and four behavioral management measures (kilocalories, calories of saturated fat, number of fruit and vegetable servings, and minutes of physical activity) were assessed. Comparisons were made between those with and without depression on the CIDI and the CESD. RESULTS: Findings showed that 22% of patients reached CESD > or = 16, and 9.9% met a CIDI diagnosis of MDD. Of those above CESD cut points, 70% were not clinically depressed, and 34% of those who were clinically depressed did not reach CESD scores > or = 16. Those scoring > or = 16, compared with those < 16 on the CESD, had higher A1C, kilocalories, and calories of saturated fat and lower physical activity. No differences were found using the CIDI. Diabetes distress was minimally related to MDD but substantively linked to CESD scores and to outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Most patients with diabetes and high levels of depressive symptoms are not clinically depressed. The CESD may be more reflective of general emotional and diabetes-specific distress than clinical depression. Most treatment of distress, however, is based on the depression literature, which suggests the need to consider different interventions for distressed but not clinically depressed diabetic patients.

Brief cognitive counseling with HIV testing to reduce sexual risk among men who have sex with men: results from a randomized controlled trial using paraprofessional counselors.

OBJECTIVES: To test the efficacy and acceptability of a single-session personalized cognitive counseling (PCC) intervention delivered by paraprofessionals during HIV voluntary counseling and testing. METHODS: HIV-negative men who have sex with men (MSM; n = 336) were randomly allocated to PCC or usual counseling (UC) between October 2002 and September 2004. The primary outcome was the number of episodes of unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) with any nonprimary partner of nonconcordant HIV serostatus in the preceding 90 days, measured at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. Impact was assessed as "intent to treat" by random-intercept Poisson regression analysis. Acceptability was assessed by a standardized client satisfaction survey. RESULTS: Men receiving PCC and UC reported comparable levels of HIV nonconcordant UAI at baseline (mean episodes: 4.2 vs. 4.8, respectively; P = 0.151). UAI decreased by more than 60% to 1.9 episodes at 6 months in the PCC arm (P < 0.001 vs. baseline) but was unchanged at 4.3 episodes for the UC arm (P = 0.069 vs. baseline). At 6 months, men receiving PCC reported significantly less risk than those receiving UC (P = 0.029 for difference to PCC). Risk reduction in the PCC arm was sustained from 6 to 12 months at 1.9 (P = 0.181), whereas risk significantly decreased in the UC arm to 2.2 during this interval (P < 0.001 vs. 6 months; P = 0.756 vs. PCC at 12 months). Significantly more PCC participants were "very satisfied" with the counseling experience (78.2%) versus UC participants (59.2%) (P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Both interventions were effective in reducing high-risk sexual behavior among MSM repeat testers. PCC participants demonstrated significant behavioral change more swiftly and reported a more satisfying counseling experience than UC participants.

Testing a nurse-tailored HIV medication adherence intervention.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between patient adherence and treatment outcomes has been documented across chronic health conditions, but the evidence base for effective adherence interventions in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) requires more rigorous research and reporting. OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to determine whether a tailored, nurse-delivered adherence intervention program--Client Adherence Profiling and Intervention Tailoring (CAP-IT)--improved adherence to HIV medications, compared with standard care, and to identify the relationship among adherence measures. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial (RCT) with repeated measures was used to test the efficacy of CAP-IT over a 6-month period. A convenience sample of 240 participants was recruited from a freestanding public HIV/AIDS clinic in Houston, TX, that provides medical, psychological, and pharmaceutical services for over 5,000 clients. Study instruments and measures included demographics; chart audit to capture CD4 count, viral load, and prescribed medications; health literacy; and five measures of adherence (AIDS Clinical Trial Group-Revised Reasons for Missing Medications, Morisky Self-Report of Medication Non-Adherence, Pill Count, Medication Event Monitoring System [MEMS] caps, and Pharmacy Refill). RESULTS: A logistic regression using generalized estimating equations method showed no significant differences over time on the five medication-adherence measures between the experimental and control groups. Little correlation was documented among the five different adherence measures, and there was minimal correlation with clinical markers. DISCUSSION: It is unclear why the tailored adherence intervention was not efficacious in improving medication adherence. The findings suggest that these measures of medication adherence did not perform as expected and that, perhaps, they are not adequate measures of adherence. Effective and efficient adherence interventions are needed to address the barriers to medication adherence in HIV/AIDS.

Community-based health coaching, exercise, and health service utilization.

OBJECTIVE: The outcomes of the California Public Employees Retirement System's Health Matters program, a replication of a health promotion and fitness program known as the Senior Wellness Program (SWP), are reported. METHOD: A randomized controlled design (n = 504) was used. Eligibility included one or more qualifying chronic health conditions, age 65 or older, member of a participating health plan, and owner of a CalPERS long-term care insurance policy. Disability risk factors were measured via questionnaires and included health status, pain, exercise, depression, and social activity. Activity was compiled in project records. RESULTS: At 12 months, Health Matters members were engaged in significantly more stretching and aerobic exercise than the controls. Depressive symptoms decreased among those with moderate or higher symptom scores. DISCUSSION: Health Matters extends the SWP model to younger, more active, and healthier individuals with improvements in duration of exercise and stretching; use of other health promotion activities was low.

Assessing psychosocial distress in diabetes: development of the diabetes distress scale.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to describe the development of the Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS), a new instrument for the assessment of diabetes-related emotional distress, based on four independent patient samples. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: In consultation with patients and professionals from multiple disciplines, a preliminary scale of 28 items was developed, based a priori on four distress-related domains: emotional burden subscale, physician-related distress subscale, regimen-related distress subscale, and diabetes-related interpersonal distress. The new instrument was included in a larger battery of questionnaires used in diabetes studies at four diverse sites: waiting room at a primary care clinic (n = 200), waiting room at a diabetes specialty clinic (n = 179), a diabetes management study program (n = 167), and an ongoing diabetes management program (n = 158). RESULTS: Exploratory factor analyses revealed four factors consistent across sites (involving 17 of the 28 items) that matched the critical content domains identified earlier. The correlation between the 28-item and 17-item scales was very high (r = 0.99). The mean correlation between the 17-item total score (DDS) and the four subscales was high (r = 0.82), but the pattern of interscale correlations suggested that the subscales, although not totally independent, tapped into relatively different areas of diabetes-related distress. Internal reliability of the DDS and the four subscales was adequate (alpha > 0.87), and validity coefficients yielded significant linkages with the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, meal planning, exercise, and total cholesterol. Insulin users evidenced the highest mean DDS total scores, whereas diet-controlled subjects displayed the lowest scores (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The DDS has a consistent, generalizable factor structure and good internal reliability and validity across four different clinical sites. The new instrument may serve as a valuable measure of diabetes-related emotional distress for use in research and clinical practice.