Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #103286

Edward V. Morse, PhD, Department of Pediatrics SL-37, Tulane University, 1430 Tulane Ave, New Orleans, LA 70112, 504.568.6256, gbear@tulane.edu and Patricia M. Morse, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, LSU Health Sciences Center, 1542 Tulane Ave., New Orleans, LA 70112.

Objective: To examine the effects of motivational enhancement therapy (MET) - based interventions focusing on increasing self-efficacy and self esteem in order to reduce high risk injection practices among young incarcerated African American IDUs. Methods: As part of a NIDA-funded risk reduction intervention study 211 young (16-30 year old) incarcerated African American IDUs were randomly assigned to a counseling and testing (CT) control arm or to one of 2 MET-based behavioral interventions. Baseline interview data including demographics, two measures of self-efficacy, a 14-item self esteem scale and high risk drug use behavior practices were compared to parallel follow-up interview data gathered 6 months post intervention and incarceration. Results: At baseline, mean age of participants was 24years, 92% were male, 46.2% reported sharing syringes prior to incarceration. At follow-up only 10% reported sharing syringes 6 months post incarceration. Statistically significant increases in self-esteem scores and self efficacy were independently associated with participation in one of the 2 MET-based interventions (t=2.96; p<.006; t=2.61; p<.01) which was also associated with a significant reduction in syringe sharing (t=2.50; p<.01) Conclusion: Providing MET-based interventions to incarcerated IDUs aimed at increasing self-efficacy and self esteem should be incorporated into jail or prison based programs in order to reduce syringe sharing and thus HIV/HCV risk.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify self esteem and self efficacy issues that influence behavior change.
• Learn how to incorporate motivational interviewing into HIV/HCV behavioral interventions.

Keywords: HIV Risk Behavior, Interventions

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.