The Examination of Medical Mistrust among Native and Foreign-born Blacks Living with HIV/AIDS.

摘要

This dissertation examined medical mistrust among native and foreign-born Blacks living with HIV/AIDS who are currently receiving treatment in the United States. Medical mistrust plays a role in the extent to which Blacks access, receive, and continue with medical care. An examination of the literature on medical mistrust among Blacks living with HIV/AIDS was conducted and factors such as racial pride, religiosity, and communication were found to contribute to the development of medical mistrust within the Black community. A quantitative examination of medical mistrust due to differences in religiosity, racial pride, physician-patient communication, age, and sex among native and foreign-born Blacks living with HIV/AIDS was conducted. Three hypotheses were tested using one-way ANOVA and multiple regression analyses. Results from this study suggest that native-born participants may mistrust medical systems at a higher rate than their foreign-born counterparts. Further, pride in being Black and the communication between patient and physician also seem to play a role in the level of trust that participants have towards their treating physician and the medical system. Finally, participants indicated that spirituality and talking to friends/family members served as coping mechanisms for them but participants were less willing to seek services from a counselor or psychologist to cope with their diagnosis. Implications for medical staff, counseling, prevention and future research are provided.