Prayer, meditation, exercise, and special diets: behaviors of the hardy person with HIV/AIDS.

Literature on long-term survivors with AIDS is replete with anecdotal evidence linking survival to such things as (a) holding a positive attitude toward the illness; (b) participating in health-promoting behaviors; (c) engaging in spiritual activities; and (d) taking part in AIDS-related activities. To determine whether there is quantitative research to support this anecdotal evidence, 100 subjects, who were either HIV-positive or diagnosed with ARC or AIDS, completed Kobasa's Personal Views Survey (hardiness measure) and responded to questions regarding perceptions of their physical, emotional, and spiritual health; participation in spiritual activities, selected health-promoting behaviors, and AIDS-related activities. The results demonstrated positive relationships between hardiness and: perception of physical, emotional, and spiritual health; participation in prayer and meditation; and participation in exercise and the use of special diets.