A soccer team-based social network intervention for Latinos: Results from a community-based participatory research study

Background: Latinos in the US are disproportionately affected by HIV. Our community-based participatory research (CBPR) partnership implemented and evaluated HoMBReS Por un Cambio, a social network intervention designed to promote sexual health among Latino men.

Methods: We trained and supported three cohorts of lay health advisors, known as Navegantes, for a total of 20 Navegantes. Navegantes promoted condom use and access to HIV and other health services within their soccer team-based social networks for 12 months. Demographic, psychosocial, and behavioral data were collected from each Navegante and 12 of his teammates at baseline, 12-month follow-up, and 24-month follow-up.

Results: At baseline, mean age of the 260 participants was 26.9 years, 82% were from Mexico, and 22% had a high school education or higher. Mean number of years living in US was 9.5.

Across all cohorts from baseline to 12-month follow-up, HIV and STD knowledge and condom use expectancy increased and adherence to health-compromising notions of masculinity decreased (p<.05). Adjusting for baseline covariates, past 12-month HIV testing increased significantly in one cohort at 12-month follow-up and was sustained at 24-month follow-up (p<.05). Condom use increased in this cohort but was not statistically significant (p=0.11). 

Conclusions: Although many mediators (e.g., knowledge, beliefs) positively changed across all cohorts, behavior change occurred in only one cohort. Given our partnership’s successes in previous intervention studies applying CBPR principles, further research is needed to understand these differences among cohorts and how the participatory process, revisions to the intervention mid-implementation, and intervention staff changes can affect outcomes.