The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #35113

Hugh Klein, PhD¹, Kirk W Elifson¹, Claire E Sterk², and Katherine P. Theall, MPH². (1) Department of Sociology, Georgia State University, 401 Schuyler Road, Silver Spring, MD 20910, 301-588-8875, hughk@aol.com, (2) Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Road Room 520, Atlanta, GA 30322

During the past decade or so, increasing attention has been payed to the role that religious and faith-based organizations can play in enhancing health behaviors. Generally, researchers have found that religious and faith-based projects can have a positive impact upon people’s health and help them to reduce high-risk health practices. Preliminary research into the impact that these programs can have on HIV-related knowledge and risk behaviors has also been promising, albeit quite limited.

In this study, we examine the role that religiosity plays in women’s involvement in HIV risk behaviors. The sample consists of 250 women residing in the Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan area. They were interviewed between August 1997 and August 2000. Street outreach was conducted to identify potential study participants, and targeted sampling and ethnographic mapping procedures were used to expand the study population as the research unfolded.

Religiosity was found to be a strong predictor of women’s involvement in HIV-related risky behaviors, with the greatest risk reported by women who were the least religious. Multivariate analyses were conducted to determine whether this relationship remained when the effects of other relevant variables (e.g., demographic/background variables, childhood maltreatment experiences, psychosocial characteristics, relationships with others, exposure to substance abusers, condom beliefs/attitudes) were examined. Religiosity remained a significant predictor of HIV risk behavior involvement in the multivariate analysis. The implications for intervention and prevention efforts are discussed.

Learning Objectives:

• To help understand the relationship between religiosity and involvement in HIV risk behaviors

• To illuminate the implications for prevention and intervention programs aimed at reducing HIV

Keywords: HIV Interventions, Religion

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.