The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #71179

Laura J. Dunlap, MA¹, Gary A. Zarkin, PhD¹, Daniel Mamo, MA¹, and Wendee Wechsberg, PhD². (1) Center for Interdisciplinary Substance Abuse Research, RTI International, 3040 Cornwallis Road, Hobbs Bldg, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2194, 919-541-8070, ljd@rti.org, (2) Substance Abuse Treatment Evaluations and Interventions, RTI International, PO Box 12194, 3040 Cornwallis Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2194

We present estimates of the costs and cost-effectiveness of a woman-focused HIV prevention intervention for crack-using African-American women. We examined data from women participating in the NIDA-funded NC Women’s Co-Op. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups—a Woman-Focused HIV intervention, a revised NIDA standard HIV intervention, and a control group which received only HIV antibody testing and counseling. We estimated the cost of each intervention and, using simple means analysis and multiple regression models, estimated the incremental effectiveness of the woman-focused intervention and the NIDA standard intervention. Finally, we computed cost-effectiveness ratios for 3-month outcomes—crack use, alcohol use, sexual risk behavior, homelessness, and employment. The estimated per-person cost of the Woman-Focused intervention is less than the NIDA standard intervention. We found that the Woman-Focused intervention dominated the NIDA standard intervention in all outcomes because it was less costly and more effective. Compared to the control group, we found that the woman-focused intervention yielded statistically significant reductions in crack use, sexual risk, and homelessness and improvements in employment. The incremental cost of implementing the woman-focused intervention compared to the control group is relatively small and its cost-effectiveness results suggest that it should be considered as an important HIV prevention strategy for substance-abusing African-American women.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will be able to identify the costs associated with implementing a woman-focused HIV prevention intervention.
• Participants will be introduced to the concepts of cost and of cost-effectiveness analyses and its importance in policy evaluation.
• Participants will be able to understand and discuss the cost-effectiveness of a woman-focused HIV prevention intervention.

Keywords: Cost Issues, African American

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.