The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

5156.0: Wednesday, November 13, 2002 - 2:30 PM

Abstract #50241

A growth modeling approach to examining appointment keeping and STD prevention among female bar workers in Philippines

Alfonso Ang, PhD1, Donald Morisky, ScD1, Astou Coly, MPH2, Teodora V. Tiglao, PhD3, and Tsai Tzui, MPH1. (1) Department of Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, 650 Charles E. Young Drive South, CHS 26-070, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772, 310 825 8508, aang@uclalumni.net, (2) Epidemiology, University of California at Los Angeles School of Public Health, Box 951772, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772, (3) University of the Philippines, College of Public Health, Taft and Redro Gil, Manila, Philippines

The purpose of this research is to examine the effects of a community-based intervention on appointment keeping in social hygiene clinics and STD rate of commercial sex workers in the Philippines. The analysis of the relationship between appointment keeping rate and STD is made possible through the use of recent advances in growth modeling methodology that takes into account changes in individual effects across multiple time periods during the intervention. This session demonstrates new methodology in hierarchical modeling where the nesting of commercial sex workers in different establishments and intervention sites is taken into consideration in the analysis. Data from this research is obtained from a 36-month prospective study of establishment-based female bar workers (employed in bars, disco houses, Karaoke centers and massage parlors). A total of 1383 bar workers compromise the study group. The conclusions presented in this study demonstrate their utility for a wide audience, particularly those involved in HIV/STD prevention programs directed towards improving the health of women working in indirect/non-brothel establishments where sex work is negotiated. Sex workers who received a combination of managerial education and peer group intervention were more likely to keep their appointment and have a lower STD incidence compared to sex workers in the control group (t=8.8, p<.001). The results suggest the need for the development of comprehensive educational policies in all entertainment establishments. Particularly important is the need for managers to meet regularly with employees, reinforcing positive attitudes, mandating condom use, providing condoms in the workplace and promoting aids awareness.

Learning Objectives: Learning Objectives