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

Abstract #115856

Shin-Yi Wu, PhD¹, Sai Ma, MPA¹, Naihua Duan, PhD², Sung-Jae Lee, PhD³, Danielle Seiden, MPP³, and Peter A. Newman, PhD⁴. (1) Health, RAND, 1776 Main Street, M4s, Santa Monica, CA 90401, 310-393-0411-7312, shinyi@rand.org, (2) Neuropsychiatric Institute/Center for Community Health, University of California, Los Angeles, 1100 Glendon Avenue, Suite 850, Los Angeles, CA 90024, (3) Center for HIV Identification, Prevention &Treatment Services, University of California, Los Angeles, 10920 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 350, Los Angeles, CA 90024, (4) Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, 246 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada

OBJECTIVES: To compare the potential roles of doctors in facilitating HIV vaccine trial participation and adoption. METHODS: We surveyed 266 at-risk individuals recruited from multiple community-based organizations and clinics in Los Angeles. Participants were randomized into two survey versions: vaccine-trial (n=123) or vaccine-uptake (n=143). Mean willingness-to-participate (WTP) or post-trial vaccine acceptability (PTVA) score was calculated based on each respondent's ratings on likelihood of participating across eight scenarios. Multiple regressions were used to explore the relationships between the WTP/PTVA and desire to talk to own doctor and trust/mistrust in doctor, after controlling for individual characteristics. RESULTS: The two groups of participants have similar characteristics. The mean WTP score for trial was 40.5 (SD=22.1) and mean PTVA score was 60 (SD=21.9), on a 0-100 scale where higher score means greater intention. Post-trial group respondents expressed higher desire to talk to their own doctors before adopting HIV vaccine (90%) than trial group did (73%). Only trust in doctors predicted participants' PTVA (p< .05), as opposed to the HIV vaccine trial, where gender (p< .05), desire to talk to doctor (p<. 01), and trust and mistrust in doctors (both p< .05) all predicted participants' WTP in trial. CONCLUSIONS: At-risk people are more willing to adopt post-trial HIV vaccine than participating in HIV vaccine trial. Doctors may have important, but different influence in both. Doctors may facilitate successful trial participation through communication, a trustworthy relationship, and behavioral counseling with their patients. As for vaccine acceptability, a trustworthy doctor-patient relationship is of utmost importance.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to
• identify an innovative survey design method that uses fractional factorial experimental design
• recognize the willingness-to-participate in HIV vaccine trials and post-trial acceptability among the at-risk population
• describe the roles of the doctors to facilitate successful HIV vaccine trial participation and dissemination

Keywords: Physicians, HIV/AIDS

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.