Document 0455
 DOCN  M9440455
 TI    Findings from the Horizontes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
       Education project: the impact of indigenous outreach workers as change
       agents for injection drug users.
 DT    9404
 AU    Birkel RC; Golaszewski T; Koman JJ 3rd; Singh BK; Catan V; Souply K;
       Koba Institute, Washington, DC 20005.
 SO    Health Educ Q. 1993 Winter;20(4):523-38. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
       MED/94140588
 AB    A human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immune deficiency syndrome
       (AIDS) intervention using indigenous outreach workers was implemented
       with Hispanic injection drug users (IDUs) and their sexual partners in
       three locations: Laredo, Texas; San Diego, California; and San Juan,
       Puerto Rico. A total of 2,169 subjects were contacted, given health
       education, HIV antibody testing, and follow-up counseling. This article
       reports on the 1,616 IDUs (75%) who completed the initial and follow-up
       interviews. The results indicated significant increases in health
       knowledge on AIDS, decreases in needle risk drug taking behaviors, some
       decreases in sex risk behaviors, and more realistic perceptions of
       personal AIDS risk. Using multivariate analyses, gender (male) and
       increasing age (older than age 25 years) were the strongest predictors
       of behavior change. Surprisingly, the identification of a positive HIV
       serostatus was not a significant predictor of behavior change. Although
       intended as a comparison study between contrasting levels of
       intervention, logistical and administrative problems undermined the use
       of a true quasi-experimental design. Nonetheless, the results from this
       research suggest that the use of indigenous outreach workers is an
       effective means of combatting the spread of HIV in this difficult to
       reach population. Some programmatic recommendations are provided for
       future efforts of this kind, particularly in relation to role conflicts
       experienced by outreach workers.
 DE    Adolescence  Adult  Age Factors  Aged  Aged, 80 and over
       California/EPIDEMIOLOGY  *Community Health Aides  Counseling  Female
       Follow-Up Studies  Health Behavior  Health Education/*ORGANIZATION &
       ADMIN  Health Services, Indigenous/*ORGANIZATION & ADMIN  *Hispanic
       Americans  Human  HIV Infections/*ETHNOLOGY/ETIOLOGY/*PREVENTION &
       CONTROL/  TRANSMISSION  *HIV Seroprevalence  *Knowledge, Attitudes,
       Practice  Male  Middle Age  Multivariate Analysis  Program Evaluation
       Puerto Rico/EPIDEMIOLOGY  Risk-Taking  Sex Factors  *Sexual Partners
       Substance Abuse, Intravenous/*COMPLICATIONS/ETHNOLOGY  Support, U.S.
       Gov't, P.H.S.  Texas/EPIDEMIOLOGY  JOURNAL ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).