Health Locus of Control and Neurocognitive Function in Latinx and Non-Latinx White People Living With HIV: A Cross-sectional Study

Maral Aghvinian; Emily P Morris; Micah J Savin; Angela C Summers; Cara L Crook; Jordan Stiver; Jairo Gonzalez; Desiree Byrd; Monica Rivera Mindt

doi:10.1097/JNC.0000000000000286

Health Locus of Control and Neurocognitive Function in Latinx and Non-Latinx White People Living With HIV: A Cross-sectional Study

J Assoc Nurses AIDS Care. 2022 May-Jun;33(3):248-258. doi: 10.1097/JNC.0000000000000286. Epub 2021 Jul 8.

Authors

Maral Aghvinian¹, Emily P Morris, Micah J Savin, Angela C Summers, Cara L Crook, Jordan Stiver, Jairo Gonzalez, Desiree Byrd, Monica Rivera Mindt

Affiliation

¹ Maral Aghvinian, MA, is a Doctoral Student, Clinical Psychology Program, Fordham University, Bronx, New York, USA. Emily P. Morris, MS, is a Doctoral Student, Clinical Science Program, University of Michigan, Detroit, Michigan, USA. Micah J. Savin, MA, Angela C. Summers, MA, Cara L. Crook, MA, and Jordan Stiver, MA, are Doctoral Students, Clinical Psychology Program, Fordham University, Bronx, New York, USA. Jairo Gonzalez, PsyD, is a Clinical Psychologist, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, USA. Desiree Byrd, PhD, ABPP, is a Board-Certified Clinical Neuropsychologist, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, USA, and is an Associate Professor, Queens College, Queens, New York, USA. Monica Rivera Mindt, PhD, ABPP, is a Board-Certified Clinical Neuropsychologist, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, USA, and is a Professor of Psychology, Fordham University, Bronx, New York, USA.

Abstract

Research suggests that health locus of control (HLOC) is related to important health and neurocognitive outcomes in people living with HIV. However, the role of ethnicity in these relationships remains poorly understood. This study explored the role of HLOC on neurocognition in a diverse sample of 134 people living with HIV (Latinx: n = 96; non-Latinx White: n = 38) who completed comprehensive neurocognitive evaluations and the Multidimensional HLOC Scale-Form C. Results indicate no ethnocultural differences in HLOC beliefs (ps > .05). External HLOC (i.e., chance and powerful others) related to worse neurocognition in the Latinx group and contributed to significant variance in global neurocognition and learning, memory, and verbal fluency, underscoring the role of external HLOC beliefs on neurocognition, particularly for Latinx individuals. Additional research is needed to better characterize the mechanistic relationship between HLOC beliefs and neurocognitive function and to further explore this relationship among other underrepresented populations also disproportionately affected by HIV.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

Attitude to Health
Cross-Sectional Studies
Ethnicity
HIV Infections*
Humans
Internal-External Control*

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

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