Strategic communications to prevent HIV infections and reduce health disparities among Black and Hispanic young adults

Background: As part of a comprehensive, culturally competent, community-based effort to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in HIV disease, strategic communications were used to inform Black and Hispanic young adult residents of high AIDS-incidence areas of Broward County, Florida, of the continuing threat of HIV transmission and the choices they could make to prevent infection.  The purpose of this study was to assess changing patterns of AIDS-related information access and use during an eight-year period of systematic program planning, implementation, and evaluation.

Methods: Computer-assisted telephone interview surveys with at least 2000 residents of 12 ZIP-code areas were conducted in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, and 2007.  Respondents had to self-identify as Black or Hispanic, be 18 to 39 years old, and live in one of the designated areas.  Interviews were conducted in English, Spanish, or Haitian Creole.

Results: Almost two thirds (65.3%) of the 7,843 respondents were women.  Although the proportion of residents who listened to the radio every day declined from 56.4% in 2001 to 49.9% in 2007, “talk shows” remained as a primary source of information about HIV/AIDS, especially among African Americans.  The greatest change in accessing information about HIV/AIDS occurred with respect to Internet use, which increased from 35.1% in 2001 to 57.5% in 2007.

Conclusions: Combination HIV-prevention programs should include a strategic communications component to keep at-risk populations well informed.  The REACH 2010 project in Broward County demonstrated how changing patterns of information access and use can affect levels of knowledge and understanding in vulnerable minority communities.