Hombres: Por un cambio: Intervention process and outcome findings

Background: Immigrant Latinos in the US are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS and STDs, and few efficacious interventions exist to address these inequalities. The objective of this study was to refine, implement, and evaluate an intervention to reduce sexual risk among immigrant Latino men using a lay health advisor (LHA) approach.

Methods: Twenty male LHAs, known as "Navegantes", from 20 different Latino soccer teams were trained and worked with members of their soccer team-based social networks. Data were collected from 13 members of 20 soccer teams (1 Navegante and 12 teammates per team) at baseline and at immediate post-intervention. Navegantes conducted formal and informal activities with soccer teams for 12 months. Further, each month each Navegante documented his activities on a Spanish-language low literacy Activity Log. Results: Baseline data were collected from 262 Latino male participants; we retained 85% at 12 months. Mean age of participants was 26.9 years and 82% were from Mexico.

About 1,600 activities were conducted by the 20 Navegantes. Mean number of participants per activity was 4.23 (range: 1-40); >50% of all activities were conducted with those outside their soccer team-based social networks. Nearly 11% included women.

At baseline, the condom use rate was 38.8% and at 12-month post-Navegante training, it was 51.3%, a 12% increase (p=.009).

Conclusions: Findings revealed that Latino men are receptive to serving as LHAs and successfully increasing condom use within their social networks. LHAs may be a culturally congruent approach to meeting the health-promotion needs and priorities of other Latino communities.