With the widespread use of antiretroviral therapy (ART), HIV infection has gradually become a chronic condition requiring long-term management. Patient activation plays an important role in promoting effective self-management and improving health outcomes among people living with HIV. However, limited evidence exists regarding patient activation and its psychosocial determinants among men who have sex with men (MSM) living with HIV in China. This study aimed to investigate the level of patient activation and explore its associated psychosocial factors in this population
A single-center cross-sectional study was conducted using convenience sampling. A total of 303 MSM living with HIV attending the Department of Infectious Diseases at the Second Hospital of Nanjing between December 2025 and February 2026 were recruited. Data were collected using a General Information Questionnaire, the Patient Activation Measure-13 (PAM-13), the Berger HIV Stigma Scale-12 (BHSS-12), the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), and the Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS). Pearson correlation analysis, univariate analysis, and hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis were performed to examine factors associated with patient activation.
The mean patient activation score among MSM living with HIV was 55.68 ± 9.62, corresponding to Level 3, and indicating a moderate-to-high level of activation. Pearson correlation analysis showed that patient activation was negatively correlated with HIV-related stigma (r = − 0.553, P< 0.01) and positively correlated with psychological resilience (r = 0.495, P< 0.01) and social support (r = 0.544, P< 0.01). Hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis indicated that duration since HIV diagnosis, number of comorbidities, disclosure of HIV status to others, HIV-related stigma, psychological resilience, and social support were significantly associated with patient activation (all P< 0.05). The final model explained 60.5% of the variance in patient activation.
The study initiated by Burger, together with Radboud UMC colleagues Pauline Bollen and Angela Colbers and colleagues from the Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Unit at University College London, focused on simplifying the dosage of dolutegravir that children should take every day, which should work equally well and should not cause any additional side effects. They did this by giving 62 HIV-positive children aged between 6 and 18 years from Uganda and Zimbabwe different doses of medicines, taking their weight into account. They were monitored for nearly half a year. The results show that one 50 mg pill of dolutegravir per day, the same dose as adults, works well in the children and that their body responds to the medicine in the same way as the more difficult dose to give.
As a result of this study, the World Health Organization amended the guidelines for treatment in HIV-positive children, and the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved this dosage.
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