Providing Health Information Research Articles

Enhancing community knowledge about the role of social capital on elderly’s well-being

The level of dependence of older adults increases with the increase in the life expectancy of older adults in the community. The role of the community as social capital can help older adults reduce the level of dependence to the caregivers and increase the independence of older adults in living their daily activity. The low level of community understanding regarding their role in increasing the level of independence of older adults is the reason for the need for providing information by professionals. The community empowerment is carried out online using zoom media with the aim to increasing public knowledge about the role of social capital in the health of older adults. The community empowerment was attended by 545 participants and discussed 10 main topics. The results of the activity showed significant positive benefits in changing one's cognitive status. This shows that the provision of health information to the public can bring positive benefits related to understanding the role of social capital on the health status of the elderly.

Online health information seeking and digital health literacy among information and learning resources undergraduate students

BackgroundDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, students have trouble coping with the available health information regarding the coronavirus in their daily lives because of misinformation. ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to evaluate online health information seeking and digital health literacy among information and learning resources undergraduate students at Taibah University during the COVID-19 pandemic. MethodsTo investigate the primary goal, this study used a simultaneous exploratory mixed methods design. Seventeen students participated in phone interviews, and 306 were invited to complete an online survey. AnalysisThe collected data was analyzed using both quantitative (SPSS) and qualitative (NVivo 10) methods. ResultsSearch engines, social media, and YouTube were most often used by the respondents as sources to search for COVID-19-related information. COVID-19 symptoms, restrictions, and the current spread of COVID-19 were the most searched topics by the respondents. Significant and relevant differences emerged for the digital health literacy subscales “information search” and “adding self-generated content”. However, there were no significant differences in the digital health literacy subscale “determining relevance”. ConclusionUsing the internet to provide health information tailored to the needs and interests of students to seek health information online and thereby improve their health literacy.

The Role of Information Boxes in Search Engine Results for Symptom Searches: Analysis of Archival Data.

Search engines provide health information boxes as part of search results to address information gaps and misinformation for commonly searched symptoms. Few prior studies have sought to understand how individuals who are seeking information about health symptoms navigate different types of page elements on search engine results pages, including health information boxes. Using real-world search engine data, this study sought to investigate how users searching for common health-related symptoms with Bing interacted with health information boxes (info boxes) and other page elements. A sample of searches (N=28,552 unique searches) was compiled for the 17 most common medical symptoms queried on Microsoft Bing by users in the United States between September and November 2019. The association between the page elements that users saw, their characteristics, and the time spent on elements or clicks was investigated using linear and logistic regression. The number of searches ranged by symptom type from 55 searches for cramps to 7459 searches for anxiety. Users searching for common health-related symptoms saw pages with standard web results (n=24,034, 84%), itemized web results (n=23,354, 82%), ads (n=13,171, 46%), and info boxes (n=18,215, 64%). Users spent on average 22 (SD 26) seconds on the search engine results page. Users who saw all page elements spent 25% (7.1 s) of their time on the info box, 23% (6.1 s) on standard web results, 20% (5.7 s) on ads, and 10% (10 s) on itemized web results, with significantly more time on the info box compared to other elements and the least amount of time on itemized web results. Info box characteristics such as reading ease and appearance of related conditions were associated with longer time on the info box. Although none of the info box characteristics were associated with clicks on standard web results, info box characteristics such as reading ease and related searches were negatively correlated with clicks on ads. Info boxes were attended most by users compared with other page elements, and their characteristics may influence future web searching. Future studies are needed that further explore the utility of info boxes and their influence on real-world health-seeking behaviors.

The Effect Of Social Media Health Protocol Covid 19 On Attitude Changes Based On Persuasion Communication

Information disseminated in the media has many options for the public to access information. The growing role of social media has different characteristics. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of social media on the COVID-19 health protocol on attitude change based on persuasive communication. The results showed that there was an effect of social media on the covid 19 health protocol on attitude change, which was p=0.031<α=0.05. There is a very strong positive relationship between social media and attitude change. Provision of health information is expected through social media by looking at the context of clear and concise messages.

Expanding the Health Information National Trends Survey Research Program Internationally to Examine Global Health Communication Trends: Comparing Health Information Seeking Behaviors in the U.S. and Germany

ABSTRACT The Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) is a well-established U.S.-based research program administered by the National Cancer Institute to track the public access to and use of health information. This paper introduces a German research initiative, part of the International Studies to Investigate Global Health Information Trends (INSIGHTS) research consortium. This adaptation of the HINTS is important for initiating analyses of global health communication practices and comparing health information seeking behaviors (HISB) across nations to pinpoint potentials and challenges of health information provision and contribute to a deeper understanding of socio-contextual determinants of HISB. First cross-country comparisons revealed that the share of residents seeking for health information is high in the U.S. (80%) and Germany (74%), but different primary sources are used. Whereas a clear majority of U.S. residents chose the Internet to gather health information (74.9%), Germans most often turn to health professionals (48.0%). Socio-structural and health(care)-related predictors were found to contribute to the explanation of HISB in both countries, whereas information-related predictors were only relevant in Germany. The results indicate the need to engage in patient-provider communication to initiate HISB and to improve the access to information for residents with lower socio-economic backgrounds.

Bridging gaps in oral health education in a medical school in the United States: a pilot study

BackgroundOral health is an important component of medical education given its connection to overall health and quality of life; however, oral health is infrequently incorporated into medical school curricula in the United States. The aim of this study was to pilot a novel oral health care clerkship for United States medical students that implemented the Smiles for Life (SFL) curriculum, in-person clinical activities, and pre and post curricula assessments to assess knowledge acquisition, attitude change, and clinical skill development.MethodsThird year medical students at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, volunteered (n = 37) for a clerkship in oral health. Students completed the Smiles For Life National Oral Health Curriculum and participated in three half-day clinical sessions in a hospital-based dental clinic. The participants were evaluated on knowledge acquisition, attitude change, and clinical skill development through a pre and post clerkship assessment in order to assess the efficacy of the intervention.ResultsThere was a 23.4% increase in oral health knowledge (p < 0.001) following participation in the online modules and clerkship. Additionally, attitudes in the following domains showed improved familiarity and proficiency: causes and prevention of dental caries (78.4%, p < 0.001) and periodontal disease (83.8%, p < 0.001), provision of oral health information to patients (67.6%, p < 0.001), and ability to conduct an oral examination (62.2%, p < 0.001).ConclusionsThird year medical students who participated in a novel oral health clerkship demonstrated significant increases in basic oral health knowledge and reported increased comfort in providing oral examinations and anticipatory guidance to patients. The results support the feasibility of this approach to incorporating oral health education into a medical school curriculum in the United States.

IOT BASED REMOTE MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS SYSTEM USING NODE MCU

Internet of things (IoT) can help us better our lives in many ways by rendering real time Information over the internet collected from a smart network of devices. In this paper, we have discussed about Remote Medical Diagnosis System (RMDS), which can come to aid for humans in many life-threatening situations. Often, people fall sick in locations where there are no hospitals or healthcare facility nearby, in such cases people sometimes even die due to lack of proper treatment and diagnosis. In rural areas of third-world countries, this problem is even more intense. For demonstration purpose, heartrate and body temperature of a person is determined and rendered over the internet. Health data is uploaded in real-time and can be viewed through a web browser. The aim of RMDS is to remotely provide health information of a patient to a healthcare professional in life-threatening situations. It can also be used for remote patient monitoring of regular patients of a doctor.

Development of a community health workers perceptual and behavioral competency scale for preventing non-communicable diseases (COCS-N) in Japan

BackgroundCommunity health workers in Japan are commissioned to work on a voluntary basis on behalf of their communities, to promote healthy behaviors. They are a valuable resource because they can often provide health information and services for local residents with whom professionals find it difficult to engage. However, no instruments exist for evaluating perceptual and behavioral competencies for prevention of non-communicable diseases among voluntary unpaid community health workers in developed countries. This study aimed to develop a community health workers perceptual and behavioral competency scale for preventing non-communicable diseases (COCS-N), and to assess its reliability and validity.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study using a self-reported questionnaire. A total of 6480 community health workers across 94 local governments in Japan were eligible to participate. We evaluated the construct validity of the COCS-N using confirmatory factor analysis, and assessed internal consistency using Cronbach’s alpha. We used the European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire and the Community Commitment Scale to assess the criterion-related validity of the COCS-N.ResultsIn total, we received 3140 valid responses. The confirmatory factor analysis identified eight items from two domains, with perceptions covered by “Sharing the pleasure of living a healthy life” and behavioral aspects by “Creating healthy resources” (goodness-of-fit index = 0.991, adjusted goodness-of-fit index = 0.983, comparative fit index = 0.993, root mean square error of approximation = 0.036). Cronbach’s alpha was 0.88. COCS-N scores were correlated with European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire scores and Community Commitment Scale scores (r = 0.577, P < 0.001 and r = 0.447, P < 0.001).ConclusionsThe COCS-N is a brief, easy-to-administer instrument that is reliable and valid for community health workers. This study will therefore enable the assessment and identification of community health workers whose perceptual and behavioral competency could be improved through training and activities. Longitudinal research is needed to verify the predictive value of the COCS-N, and to apply it to a broader range of participants in a wider range of settings.

683 A qualitative exploration of melanoma awareness in black communities

People with skin of color are more likely to have advanced melanomas at diagnosis, with strikingly lower 5-year melanoma survival rates among Black (70%) compared to white patients (92%). Yet, survey data suggests many people of color have not been provided health information about melanoma skin cancer. We sought to explore Black people’s perspectives on melanoma risk using in-depth qualitative interviewing. We conducted 26 semi-structured interviews (July–August 2021) over video or telephone with individuals self-identifying as Black or African American.

Perception of Librarians on COVID-19 Information and Sensitization

Librarians across Africa have had to portray proactive measures in combating the spread of Corona Virus (COVID-19) pandemic. They were faced with the probability of how libraries would function amidst employees calling for closures while seeking for safety and looking for how to activate open access e-resources, minding workers’ rights and copyright guidelines on these e-resources. Their perception on providing health information sensitization to their immediate community, the challenges and facing the change agenda was the focus of this paper. Respondents were drawn from different libraries for the survey which adopted qualitative research methodology through interviews. The data collected were thematically analyzed to answer the research questions. Findings indicated that librarians perceived the COVID-19 sensitization as a challenge that could be overwhelming, but achievable with support from stakeholders, the government and non-governmental agencies. Recommendations were that the new normal has brought changes to information processing and dissemination. Librarians and libraries should thrive in this new reality and remain more responsive. Furthermore, enhanced impact assessment should be carried out to find out how the measures of sensitization on the pandemic became effective.

“When you live in good health with your husband, then your children are in good health ….” A qualitative exploration of how households make healthcare decisions in Maradi and Zinder Regions, Niger

BackgroundGender dynamics influence household-level decision-making about health behaviors and subsequent outcomes. Health and development programs in Niger are addressing gender norms through social and behavior change (SBC) approaches, yet not enough is known about how health care decisions are made and if gender-sensitive programs influence the decision-making process.MethodsWe qualitatively explored how households make decisions about family planning, child health, and nutrition in the Maradi and Zinder regions, Niger, within the context of a multi-sectoral integrated SBC program. We conducted 40 in-depth interviews with married women (n = 20) and men (n = 20) between 18 and 61 years of age.ResultsMale heads of household were central in health decisions, yet women were also involved and expressed the ability to discuss health issues with their husbands. Participants described three health decision-making pathways: (1st pathway) wife informs husband of health issue and husband solely decides on the solution; (2nd pathway) wife informs husband of health issue, proposes the solution, husband decides; and (3rd pathway) wife identifies the health issue and both spouses discuss and jointly identify a solution. Additionally, the role of spouses, family members, and others varied depending on the health topic: family planning was generally discussed between spouses, whereas couples sought advice from others to address common childhood illnesses. Many participants expressed feelings of shame when asked about child malnutrition. Participants said that they discussed health more frequently with their spouses’ following participation in health activities, and some men who participated in husbands’ schools (a group-based social and behavior change approach) reported that this activity influenced their approach to and involvement with household responsibilities. However, it is unclear if program activities influenced health care decision-making or women’s autonomy.ConclusionsWomen are involved to varying degrees in health decision-making. Program activities that focus on improving communication among spouses should be sustained to enhance women role in health decision-making. Male engagement strategies that emphasize spousal communication, provide health information, discuss household labor may enhance couple communication in Niger. Adapting the outreach strategies and messages by healthcare topic, such as couples counseling for family planning versus community-based nutrition messaging, are warranted.

Determinants of Rabies Post-exposure Prophylaxis Drop-Out in the Region of San-Pedro, Côte d'Ivoire.

Despite the fact that death from rabies is 100% preventable with a course of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) treatment, canine rabies still causes about 59,000 human deaths worldwide annually, half of which are occurring in Africa. In Côte d'Ivoire, rabies remains a threat partly due to the high drop-out rate of the life-saving human PEP treatment among people exposed to dog bites. Each year, half of the victims starting treatment, do not complete the course. The current study therefore assessed the determinants for drop-out of the life-saving treatment among people exposed to rabies in the department of San-Pedro in Côte d'Ivoire.MethodsA mixed-methods approach was used, including questionnaires, observation, individual interviews and focus group discussions, to gather socio-demographic and economic data from 235 participants about possible reasons for abandoning treatment. The study population consisted of patients and medical and veterinary health professionals who were selected using stratified sampling and purposive selection from a database available at the Rabies Center of San Pedro.ResultThe drop-out of PEP treatment was related to perception bias and a habit of low attendance of health care and vaccination centers in the population. Quantitative analysis shows differences between rural and urban areas and an association with age when it comes to treatment completion. The dropout rate was most significant among patients who, in case of other illness, did not routinely see a doctor or go to vaccination centers. The rate of abandonment was higher among those who believed that dog-related injuries could be easily treated at home, and who believed that a person with rabies could be cured without completing the preventive treatment. Insufficient provision of health information on rabies and logistic constraints related to the practical organization of treatment, including the long distance to the anti-rabies center and weaknesses in the patient follow-up procedure, did not contribute to the completion of PEP.ConclusionEstablished determinants for drop-out provide a framework for effective design and implementation of rabies control strategies to accelerate rabies deaths elimination efforts. In particular, access to PEP and community knowledge about rabies need to be improved and integrated in the health system and education system, respectively.

"You Never Exhale Fully Because You're Not Sure What's NEXT": Parents' Experiences of Stress Caring for Children With Chronic Conditions.

Children with chronic conditions are experiencing improved survival worldwide, and it is well-known that their parents are stressed. Yet, despite this knowledge, parents continue to experience stress. Our study explored the lived experience of parental stress when caring for children with various chronic conditions to identify opportunities to potentially reduce stress for these parents. This was an exploratory qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. To ensure appropriate research priorities were addressed, the study was co-designed with consumer and stakeholder involvement. Twenty parents were interviewed. Parents were recruited through a recognized family support organization for children with various care needs in Western Australia. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, anonymized, and analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Two superordinate themes were identified: (1) Gut instinct to tipping point included parents as unheard experts and their experiences of stress and becoming overwhelmed. (2) Losses and gains covered the parents' identity and relationship challenges and coping strategies with their children's unpredictable conditions. Parents' experiences of stress caring for children with chronic conditions can be applied to the Job-Demand Control-Support Model for occupational stress. Not only does this application provide a useful framework for practitioners but it adds a unique perspective that reflects the dual role of parents in caring for their children with chronic conditions as a parent but also a professional with a 24/7 workload. The parents' experiences highlight a need for improved support access, effective communication between parents and health care professionals, discharge preparation and information provision, and regular screening of parental stress with a referral pathway.

Communication Strategy in Managing Anxiety and Uncertainty during the COVID-19 Tests in Indonesia

COVID-19 haunts people's lives, especially participants of the COVID-19 swab test in Indonesia. This study aimed to describe the communication strategy carried out by COVID-19 swab test participants in managing anxiety, the uncertainty of information, and finding patterns of communication networks while waiting for laboratory test results. This study was conducted qualitatively; data was collected with a semi-open questionnaire through social media networks with the google form applcation on 61 informants of the COVID-19 swab test participants in Indonesia. Furthermore, the data was analyzed using the flow model and UCINET-NetDraw software. As a result of the study, a few communication strategies were recommended by COVID-19 swab test participants in managing anxiety and uncertainty namely: first, transcendental communication strategy by approaching and praying to God; second, phatic communication strategy to build personal communication that has an impact on feelings of pleasure; third, a communication strategy built with the pattern of interpersonal networks with the closest people. Parents and friends played an important role in helping participants manage anxiety. Furthermore, general practitioners provided health information to their patients. These three communication strategies helped increase the body's immunity when sick and develop humanistic communication patterns in the health sector.

Influence of monopoly game "MonAS" in increasing Posyandu Cadre's knowledge of stunting

Stunting is a chronic nutritional problem caused by multifactor, one of which is the lack of maternal knowledge about exclusive breast milk. Kader Posyandu who is the chosen person in the community becomes an extension of the health workers in providing health information so that the knowledge needed is needed in order to be able to convey the information obtained. The aim of the study was to increase cadre knowledge regarding stunting prevention with Exclusive breast milk through monopoly games. This type of research pre-experimental design one group pretest – posttest. The sample used in this study is the population of Posyandu cadres of Tambakbaya village of Cibadak Kab.Lebak District which is as many as 45 people. Intervention in this research is a monopoly game that has been modified which is in accordance with the purpose of the research. The results obtained that the monopoly game MonAS has a significant influence on the increase in the knowledge of posyandu cadres regarding stunting. With the results of this study is expected to be a new method in dreaming health information to cadres, namely through games.

STUDI KUALITATIF PEKERJA SEKS KOMERSIAL (PSK) DI DAERAH JONDUL KOTA PEKANBARU TAHUN 2016

Commercial Sex Workers (CSW) is one type of professions with social construction experiencing bad and full of stigma to be categorized as the dregs of society. Amount of CSW in Indonesia was 56 thousand and in Riau Province, it’s 2.865 of them. For Jondul area, it’s 36 of CSW. The commercial sex workers are the most vulnerable groups of people from many sides. They are most vulnerable to the spread of various diseases, such as HIV - AIDS, which is a deadly disease as a result of mutually sexual partners. The purpose of this study was to analyze the cause of the woman into commercial sex workers.The design used in this study is a qualitative research with in-depth interview technique. Subjects in this study is using purposive sampling with the key informants are 3 of commercial worker sex and supporter informant are 1 person pimping, 1 residents who live in the jondul area, 1 officer of Lima Puluh Public Health Care and 1 customer.The results show that cause the prostitutes were in Jondul is due to the invitation of friends, but they already know about the work to be done before leaving. The main reason they become prostitutes are economic problems and because of the hurt failed marriage. Knowledge of the prostitutes on the risks and health effects has been quite good. The education level of high-PSK also been included.The results of this research are economic factors and family factors as the main reason they become commercial sex workers. Suggested to health institutions in order to further improve the provision of health information and data collection on the number of prostitutes so that everything can be covered for medical examination.

Impact of distance monitoring service in managing healthcare demand: a case study through the lens of cocreation

BackgroundThere is a consensus among healthcare providers, academics, and policy-makers that spiraling demand and diminishing resources are threatening the sustainability of the current healthcare system. Different telemedicine services are seen as potential solutions to the current challenges in healthcare. This paper aims to identify how distance monitoring services rendered for patients with chronic conditions can affect the escalating demand for healthcare. First, we identify how distance monitoring service changes the care delivery process using the lens of service cocreation. Next, we analyze how these changes can impact healthcare demand using the literature on demand and capacity management.MethodIn this qualitative study, we explore a distance monitoring service in a primary healthcare setting in Norway. We collected primary data from nurses and general physicians using the semi-structured interview technique. We used secondary patient data collected from a study conducted to evaluate the distance monitoring project. The deductive content analysis method was used to analyze the data.ResultThis study shows that the application of distance monitoring services changes the care delivery process by creating new activities, new channels for interaction, and new roles for patients, general physicians, and nurses. We define patients’ roles as proactive providers of health information, general physicians’ roles as patient selectors, and nurses’ roles as technical coordinators, data workers, and empathetic listeners. Thus, the co-creation aspect of the service becomes more prominent demonstrating potential for better management of healthcare demand. However, these changes also render the management of demand and resources more complex. To reduce the complexities, we propose three mechanisms: foreseeing and managing new roles, developing capabilities, and adopting a system-wide perspective.ConclusionThe main contribution of the paper is that it demonstrates that, although distance monitoring services have the potential to have a positive impact on healthcare demand management, in the absence of adequate managerial mechanisms, they can also adversely affect healthcare demand management. This study provides a means for practitioners to reflect upon and refine the decisions that they make regarding telemedicine deployment and resource planning for delivering care.

RETRAINING DAN PENDAMPINGAN PERGURUAN TINGGI DALAM UPAYA OPTIMALISASI PENGGUNAAN RAPORT KESEHATAN REMAJA DI SMPN I SOCAH KABUPATEN BANGKALAN

Adolescence is a period of storm and stress since adolescents experience many challenges both from themselves (biopsychosocial factors) or the environment (environmental factors). Moreover, adolescents do not have the ability to face these challenges, in which it is possible for them to end up in various health problems that are so complex as a result of the risky behavior they do (the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, 2018). The book entitled Rapor Kesehatanku (My Health Report) contains a variety of information related to the health and development of students. Students who need further information are expected to discuss with parents, teachers or health workers from the Community Health Center (the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, 2017). An initial survey at Bangkalan Health Office showed that Rapor Kesehatanku program for adolescents had not been running optimally due to many obstacles in the field, such as the lack of report books and the empowerment of adolescent counselors that had not been established.The method used in this community service was retraining adolescent counselors in providing health information to their peers through adolescent health report book. Each student was expected to have a health report book and be able to know their growth and development on an ongoing basis. Retraining was conducted online, considering the fact that it was still the Covid-19 pandemic, involving 31 students and 9 teachers (classroom teachers, counseling teachers and school health service/UKS teachers). All participants had previously received the module to read before the online meeting.The results of the first evaluation found that there were still students who were not able to fill in health and family health history and fill in the Body Mass Index (BMI) chart on the KMS in health report book. However, in the second evaluation, students were already able to fill in the health and family health history and fill out the BMI chart on the KMS in the health report book.In addition, retraining activities for UKS manager and instructor in implementing health literacy movement using Rapor Kesehatanku book were conducted via virtual meetings. The monitoring and implementation went well. Adolescents at SMPN 1 Socah should frequently read the health information module given and apply it in their daily life. After the Covid-19 pandemic is over and the teaching and learning process returns to normal, UKS teachers and classroom teachers should optimize Rapor Kesehatanku book in carrying out UKS activities, and coordinate with UKS officers at the Community Health Center.

PENDIDIKAN KESEHATAN BERBAHASA DAERAH TERHADAP KEPATUHAN LANSIA MELAKUKAN PENCEGAHAN PENINGKATAN TEKANAN DARAH

High blood pressure or hypertension is when blood pressure, the force of blood pushing against the walls &#x0D; of blood vessels, is consistently too high. Hypertension attacks the elderly. Elderly is someone who is 60 &#x0D; years and over. The use of regional languages as a method of providing health information is rarely and &#x0D; never even done by health workers. This study aims to analyze the impact of local language health education &#x0D; on elderly compliance in preventing increased blood pressure. The design used in this study is a pre&#x0D; experimental design method with one group pre and posttest design method. The population was 30 elderly &#x0D; with stage 2 hypertension who used Tae' language. Samples were taken using total sampling method. The &#x0D; research was processed with the wilcoxon signed ranks test, the p value was 0.000, which was smaller than &#x0D; the α = 0.05. It is concluded that there is an effect of local language health education (tae ') on the level of &#x0D; compliance in taking preventive measures to increase blood pressure in the elderly with hypertension. &#x0D; Providing health education using local languages is expected to be able to change the compliance of the &#x0D; elderly in preventing hypertension.

The Dimensions of the Structure of MSM with HIV toward the Prevention of HIV and AIDS Transmission: A Qualitative Study

Men who have sex with men (MSM) are the most vulnerable key population in the transmission of HIV AIDS. They have closed behavior that makes it difficult for health programs to reach. This study explores the structural dimensions of MSM with HIV in preventing HIV AIDS transmission from the perspective of social networks and associations among MSM with HIV. This qualitative study with a grounded theory approach was conducted in Jember. Data were collected by using in-depth interviews with 12 HIV-positive MSM. Data were analyzed with the stages of codes, categorizing, and basic social-psychological processes. The triangulation is used to obtain the validity of the information. Being an MSM group for a long time, related to social networks and associations. The social network perspective is built through gathering activities with fellow MSM communities, gathering in cafes, boarding houses, own homes, rented houses, town square, and night entertainment places. Providing health information, safe sex, asking for HIV tests, and monitoring ARV is more manageable through the same HIV-positive MSM. The involvement of HIV-positive MSM in social activities or other environments can reduce the stigma and discrimination. From the association's perspective, to facilitate the socialization of HIV AIDS prevention are carried out through social activities. A few HIV-positive MSM use herbal medicine and do not believe in ARV. Regular peer group support activities can provide a correct understanding of the importance of ARV to minimize the risk of loss to follow-up. Elements of social networks and associations through peer group supports involved in social activities can facilitate communication, information, and education; also, controlling sexual behavior prevents HIV AIDS transmission. The policymakers need to strengthen community-based associations.&#x0D;