141st APHA Annual Meeting

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Hombres: Por un cambio: Intervention process and outcome findings

Tuesday, November 5, 2013 : 1:10 PM - 1:30 PM

Scott Rhodes, PhD, MPH, CHES, FAAHB , Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC
Mario Downs , Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC
Jorge Alonzo, JD , Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC
Lilli Mann, MPH , Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC
Aaron T. Vissman, MPH , Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Cynthia Miller , Division of Public Health Sciences/Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest Health Sciences, Winston-Salem, NC
Manuel Garcia , Chatham Social Health Council, Siler City, NC
Ricky L. Duck, BS , Chatham Social Health Council, Siler City, NC
Eugenia Eng, MPH, DrPH , Department of Health Behavior, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
Eun-Young Song, PhD , Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC
Beth A. Reboussin, PhD , Department of Biostatistical Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC
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.

Learning Areas:
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Diversity and culture
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Identify key components and theoretical underpinnings of a lay health advisor HIV-prevention intervention for Latino men. Describe the outcomes of the intervention. Apply preliminary findings to future research.

Keywords: Latino, Interventions

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am PI of multiple NIH and CDC studies particularly focusing on HIV prevention within immigrant Latino communities and sexual minority communities. I have published >100 peer-reviewed papers on CBPR and HIV prevention.
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.

Back to: 4226.0: HIV and Latino communities