The Rationale, Design, and Initial Efficacy of SystemCHANGE(™) -HIV: A Systems-Based Intervention to Improve Physical Activity in People Living with HIV

The purpose of this paper was to describe SystemCHANGE(™)-HIV, a novel self-management intervention for people living with HIV (PLWH) and provide evidence of its initial efficacy to improve physical activity. The rationale and design of the SystemCHANGE(™)-HIV intervention were reviewed. Intervention detail, including its historical use, learning exercises and content, were provided. Forty PLWH participated in this pilot study, using a randomized clinical trial design. Intervention participants increased their physical activity by 300 Metabolic Equivalent minutes per week, compared to the control condition. Additionally, 70% of intervention participants increased their physical activity, whereas 65% of control subjects either had no change or experienced a decrease in physical activity. SystemCHANGE(™)-HIV is an innovative intervention for PLWH, representing a new paradigm in health behavior change. Findings support its potential to increase physical activity in PLWH. Future work should refine and rigorously test the effect of this intervention.