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Positive Peers Mobile Application Reduces Stigma Perception Among Young People Living With HIV.
- Source :
-
Health Promotion Practice . Sep2020, Vol. 21 Issue 5, p744-754. 11p. - Publication Year :
- 2020
-
Abstract
- Background. The burden of HIV-related stigma is associated with disparities in linkage to HIV care and viral suppression. The Positive Peers smartphone application aims to provide young people living with HIV with a supportive virtual community to counteract perceived stigma and better manage their illness. Method. A mixed-methods study that included a prospective survey and in-depth interviewing was conducted with young adults living with HIV, aged 13 to 34 years (n = 128). As part of a larger study, participants used the Positive Peers mobile application and reported demographic data, perceived stigma, and other psychosocial variables at enrollment, 6 months, and 12 months (n = 128). Select participants (n = 15) described their experiences in audio-recorded qualitative interviews. Verbatim transcripts were analyzed for potential themes and patterns. Results. A longitudinal multivariate model was developed to assess changes in stigma over the study period, overall, and with respect to participant characteristics. Baseline and 6-month stigma scores were higher for White and Other ethnicity persons relative to Black participants. At the 12-month time point, no statistical differences in stigma scores based on ethnicity were apparent. Interviews revealed Positive Peers as a nondiscriminatory community that offered a sense of belonging that appeared to have a restorative effect on negative self-image. Conclusions. Positive Peers provides a protected virtual space where young people living with HIV can converge in the common desire to support similar others. Mobile health applications that offer peer interaction may provide a persistent sense of belonging that neutralizes internalized stigmas in addition to benefits derived from application activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- *COMMUNICATION
*COMMUNITIES
*HEALTH services accessibility
*HEALTH status indicators
*PSYCHOLOGY of HIV-positive persons
*SEXUAL health
*INTERVIEWING
*LONGITUDINAL method
*SELF-perception
*SOCIAL stigma
*QUALITATIVE research
*AFFINITY groups
*LGBTQ+ people
*SOCIAL support
*THEMATIC analysis
*ONLINE social networks
*MOBILE apps
*STATISTICAL models
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 15248399
- Volume :
- 21
- Issue :
- 5
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Health Promotion Practice
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 145141531
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1177/1524839920936244