Research Question
The topic for the research is “A study of the relationship between HIV treatment compliance and family support among African American women with HIV.” A study by Katz et al. (2013) reports on some examples of HIV adherence some of which report the importance of support for HIV patients. Consequently, the research question can be formulated as “Does family support has a positive impact on HIV treatment compliance African American women with HIV?” The researchers have already proved that the surrounding people are necessary for HIV patients. Thus, the participants of the study by Grodensky et al. (2014) reported family and platonic relationships, romantic partnerships, and relationships with a church community and with God as crucial sources of support for patients with HIV. Also, Boyd-Franklin (2013) supposed the specific role of the family in the therapy of African Americans.
The Parameters of the Study
The parameters of the study include the study population, the rationale for the sample size of the chosen population, and the power calculations which provide the validity and reliability of the study.
The Study Population and the Rationale for the Chosen Population
The study population includes African American women with HIV because they make up one of the most vulnerable groups for this disease. When it comes to race, 45% of new HIV diagnosed patients in the United States are African Americans (Sharpe et al., 2012). According to a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation (as cited by Sharpe et al., 2012, 249), non-white women have worse access to healthcare facilities than white.
The Sample Size and the Rationale for the Chosen Population
The sample size will be determined by the size of the population selected for the research. As it was mentioned, the study population includes African American women with HIV. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of 2007 among 148,797 HIV-infected women, 64% were black (Sharpe et al., 2012). Thus, more than 95 000 among HIV infected were African American. The sample size will be determined by the study design. The selected interview method will be suitable for then research purpose and will enable answering the research question.
Power Calculations
Since the interview is selected as a major method of data collection, a sample cannot be too big. According to power calculations, a sample group for the research of 90 percent power and SN ratio of 0.8 is 34 people. Thus, 34 HIV patients will be questioned. At the same time, their family members and health care providers will be included in the investigation to evaluate the treatment compliance and the family support provided.
Study Design and the Rationale
The study design should correspond to the topic and provide opportunities for answering the research question. The topic for the current research is “A study of the relationship between HIV treatment compliance and family support among African American women with HIV.” The hypothesis is that family can have a substantial influence on HIV treatment compliance and the research question corresponds to the topic. Similar research on the problem of the role of family network in the healthcare for HIV patients was conducted by Mexican researchers (Silva & Tavares, 2015). Similarly, this research will use interview as a method of data collection. The researchers will interview patients diagnosed with HIV, their relatives to discover the support they provide, and the health care providers to assess HIV treatment compliance.
References
Boyd-Franklin, N. (2013). Black families in therapy: Understanding the African American experience. (2nd ed.). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
Grodensky, C.A., Golin, C.E., Jones, C., Mamo, M., Dennis, A.C., Abernethy, M.G., & Patterson, K.P. (2014). “I should know better”: The roles of relationships, spirituality, disclosure, stigma, and shame for older women living with HIV seeking support in the South. Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, 26(1), 12-23. Web.
Katz, I.T., Ryu, A.E., Onuegbu, A.G., Psaros, C., Weiser, S.D., Bangsberg, D.R., & Tsai, A.C. (2013). Impact of HIV-related stigma on treatment adherence: systematic review and meta-synthesis. Journal of the International AIDS Society, 16(2), 1-26. Web.
Sharpe, T,T., Voûte, C., Rose, M.A., Cleveland, G., Dean, H.D., & Fenton, K. (2012). Social determinants of HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases among black women: Implications for health equity. Journal of Women’s Health, 21(3), 249-254. Web.
Silva, L.M., & Tavares, J.S. (2015). The family’s role as a support network for people living with HIV/AIDS: A review of Brazilian research into the theme. Ciência & Saúde Coletiva, 20(4), 1109-1118.