142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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Regional Differences in HIV-Related Stigma among African American Adolescents in the Northeastern & Southeastern US

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Tuesday, November 18, 2014 : 11:30 AM - 11:45 AM

Jelani Kerr, PhD , Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY
Robert Valois, MS, PhD, MPH , Arnold School of Public Health, Health Promotion, Education & behavior, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
Ralph J. DiClemente, PhD , Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory Univeristy, Atlanta, GA
Faith Fletcher, PhD , Community Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, Chicago, IL
Michael Carey, PhD , Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University, PROVIDENCE, RI
Daniel Romer, PhD
Peter Vanable, PhD
Naomi Farber, Ph.D., M.S.W., ACSW
Background:  HIV-related stigma decreases HIV-prevention, testing, and treatment in general and increases risk of poor mental health outcomes for persons living with HIV/AIDS.  Given the elevated prevalence of HIV among African-Americans and the disproportionate impact of HIV on young people (ages 13-24), identifying factors related to HIV-related stigma among African-American youth has implications for national HIV risk-reduction priorities.  Regional differences in HIV/AIDS prevalence may be related to stigma among young African-Americans. 

Methods: Baseline data (N=1,606) from an HIV prevention intervention were used to investigate regional and sex differences in HIV-related stigma and knowledge among African-American adolescents (age 14-17 years) in four midsized cities in the Northeastern and Southeastern US.  Analysis of variance determined differences in HIV-related stigma and HIV-related knowledge by region and gender. 

Results: Analyses indicated greater HIV-related stigma among adolescents from the southeast relative to adolescents from the northeast (F=22.23;p<0.0001).  Males demonstrated higher stigma scores than females (F=30.94;p<0.0001).  Knowledge scores were higher for females (F=13.9,p<0.01) but there were no significant differences by region (F=3.2,p<0.07).  Linear regression indicated a negative relationship between HIV stigma and HIV knowledge (b=-0.65;p<0.0001).  

Conclusions: Addressing HIV/AIDS in high prevalence locales should include efforts to increase knowledge and reduce HIV-related stigma.  Targeted stigma-reduction efforts should consider gender and region.

Learning Areas:

Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Compare levels of HIV-related stigma among African American adolescents in two regions of the country.

Keyword(s): HIV/AIDS, African American

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have acquired federal funding and published on research to examine individual and structural factors that affect HIV risk among Black youth.
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: 4136.0: Stigma and HIV/AIDS