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326251
A soccer team-based social network intervention for Latinos: Results from a community-based participatory research study


Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Scott Rhodes, PhD, MPH, Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC
Eunyoung Song, PhD, 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
Christina J. Sun, PhD, MS, School of Community Health, Portland State University, Portland, OR
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 Vissman, M.P.H, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Manuel Garcia, Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC
Eugenia Eng, MPH, DrPH, Gillings School of Global Public Health, Department of Health Behavior, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
Beth A. Reboussin, PhD, Department of Biostatistical Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC
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.

Learning Areas:

Diversity and culture
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
List the components of a social network intervention for Latino men; describe the outcomes at 12- and 24-month follow-up; and analyze explanations for why the three cohorts did not have similar behavioral outcomes.

Keyword(s): HIV Interventions, Latinos

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am PI of multiple NIH- and CDC-funded CBPR studies focusing on HIV prevention within Latino populations/communities. I have published >130 peer-reviewed papers on CBPR and HIV/STD prevention. I have a PhD and years of experience conducting research in the realm of HIV.
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.