190857 Change in HIV risks among underserved migrant workers: A randomized intervention study

Sunday, October 26, 2008

WayWay M. Hlaing, MBBS, MS, PhD , Epidemiology & Biostatistics, FIU Stempel School of Public Health, Miami, FL
H. Virginia McCoy, PhD , Stempel School of Public Health, Health Promotion and Desease Prevention, Florida International University, Miami, FL
Manny Estrada, MPH , Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, FL
Muni Balakrishnan Rubens, MBBS , Stempel School of Public Health, Florida International University, Miami, FL
Background: With the rapid infusion of agricultural migrant workers (MW) to the U.S., the context of single men in communities with few recreational outlets place them at risk for HIV. However, few intervention studies have been reported to reduce these sexual and substance use risk behaviors. This study reports short-term behavior changes in HIV risks.

Methods: Participants were recruited using targeted sampling in rural Florida. After baseline measurements, participants were randomly assigned to an experimental, Peer Education Ends Risky Behaviors (PEER) or a comparison, Health Education Always Leads To Healthy You (HEALTHY), intervention. This report is restricted to MW who completed baseline and 3 month post-intervention visits (n=177). Pre- to post-intervention changes in self-report and laboratory assessed behaviors were assessed using Chi-square or Fisher's Exact tests.

Results: The majority of participants were males, Hispanics, single and had eighth grade or less education and no medical insurance. Overall, positive changes were observed in alcohol (15.4%), marijuana (5.3%), cocaine (7.9%), condom use (13.7%), number of sexual partners (7.9%), and exchange sex for money/drugs (5.7%). The proportions of positive change by intervention assignment were as follows: alcohol--11.6% (PEER) vs. 8.7% (HEALTHY); marijuana--3.5% in each group, cocaine--7.0% (PEER) vs. 3.5% (HEALTHY), and condom use--10.7% (PEER) vs. 9.0% (HEALTHY).

Conclusions: Positive behavior changes can be accomplished with interventions that are targeted and tailored to appeal to MW populations. Long-term changes in risks will be monitored at 6- and 12-month follow up and effectiveness will be assessed at multiple timed points.

Learning Objectives:
1. Understand the characteristics of underserved and hard-to-reach migrant workers in rural areas. 2. Understand the components of two interventions that were tested for drug and alcohol-using migrant workers. 3. Evaluate the effectiveness of interventions on change in behavioral risks for HIV.

Keywords: HIV Risk Behavior, Alcohol

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I’m a medical graduate from India with vast experiences in the field of public health. I was mainly involved with Mentally Challenged, Autistic children and drug and alcohol addicts. As a part of this experience I had to constantly refer to many medical journals and recent innovative methods of treatments and interventions. I was also associated with many health education campaigns as well. It is this experience that mainly motivated me to do research in public health. I have a bounty of experiences in reading and understanding various literatures. In every sense it is these capabilities and skills that prove my aptness for the position as the author and presenter of this piece of information.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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