Research Proposal: African-American Women With AIDS
The proposed research focuses on identifying levels of self-concept among African-American women either diagnosed with HIV/AIDs or believed because of their socioeconomic and/or sociodemographic status to be potentially at risk for the development of HIV/AIDS. The research literature strongly suggests that these factors combine to place African-American women at a heightened risk of developing this disease and also asserts that this particular population represents the group with the fastest-growing incidence of this diagnosis in the united States (McNair & Prather, 2004; Owens, 2002).
A specific research hypothesis based on the relationship between self-concept and HIV/AIDS is proposed, as is the creation of a convenience sample of African-American women receiving services at a community-based public health clinic. One group will consist of African-American women diagnosed as having HIV/AIDS; the second or control group will consist of African-American women not diagnosed with this disease.
The research project calls for administration of a brief demographic questionnaire and a standard test instrument proven to be reliable and valid in assessing self-concept. Based on results from these instruments, the researcher will use basic descriptive and inferential statistics to test the research hypothesis, stating that African-American women with HIV/AIDS are likely to have lower self-concept than peers not diagnosed with this illness.
The proposed research is based on evidence reported in the literature suggesting first that African-American women represent in the United States the fastest growing population of individuals infected with HIV or living with AIDS (McNair & Prather, 2004). Additionally, a substantial body of literature suggests that African-American women are often possessed of poor self-concept and low levels of self-esteem vis-a-vis other female popul...