Family-Based HIV Prevention for Latinos
Condition: HIV Infections
MeSH terms: HIV Infections
Study type: Interventional
Phase: Phase 1

Summary: 
      The proposed project will develop and test an HIV prevention intervention for Latino
      families. This study will:

        1. Conduct a pilot "run-through" of an adapted family-based intervention with three cohorts
           (about 24 families) to determine the feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness for
           the target population.

        2. Revise the family-based HIV prevention intervention based on the results of the pilot
           "run-through" and structured exit interviews.

        3. Recruit and randomize 100 families into the Latino family-based HIV prevention
           intervention or a general health promotion condition.

        4. Estimate the effect size of the Latino family-based HIV prevention intervention from
           assessment of changes in HIV-related sexual behavior and attitudes and parental
           monitoring/supervision over 6 months.

      Based on a thorough review of the literature, the following is anticipated:

        1. The revised intervention will be feasible, acceptable, and appropriate for Latino
           families and will be enthusiastically received.

        2. The family-based HIV prevention intervention will result in safer adolescent sexual
           behavior, greater change with regard to primary outcome measures of behavior (recent
           sexual activity, the number of unprotected sex acts, proportion of condom use, and
           intentions to use condoms), safer HIV-related attitudes, improved parent-child
           communication skills, and greater parental monitoring than the Latino families in the
           general health promotion condition.
    

Detailed description: 
      Latinos are disproportionately represented among those diagnosed with HIV and Latino
      adolescents are at risk for engaging in sexual behaviors that can lead to HIV. However, data
      regarding HIV prevention interventions for Latino adolescents, as distinct from other ethnic
      groups, have not been published to date. This K Award will conduct an initial study of a
      family-based intervention specifically for Latino families. With the support of a NIMH
      Minority Supplement Award, Dr. Lescano has adapted a family-based intervention from a
      multi-site trial for non-minority youth. Using a qualitative approach, Dr. Lescano has added
      to the intervention family context issues relevant to Latinos such as acculturation,
      religiosity, gender role and sexual socialization, parent-child communication, and monitoring
      practices. The initial phase of the K Award will be a run-through of the adapted family-based
      intervention with three cohorts (8 families per group) to further assess participant reaction
      and appropriateness. The intervention will then be revised based on feedback using structured
      exit interviews. Next, 100 Latino families with an adolescent between the ages of 13 and 18
      will be randomized into either the family based HIV prevention intervention or a general
      health promotion (GHP) condition that focuses on healthy behaviors such as diet and exercise.
      Groups consist of 6 to 8 parent and youth dyads in a one-day, 7-hour workshop. Both
      interventions employ activities for youth and parents separately (e.g., focus on adolescent
      vulnerability) and parents and adolescents together. The project will estimate the effect
      size of the Latino Family-based HIV prevention intervention from assessment of changes in the
      adolescents' HIV-related sexual behavior and attitudes, gender and sexual socialization,
      parent-child communication, and parental monitoring. Measures will be completed at baseline
      and at 3 and 6 months post-intervention. The work done in this K Award will provide pilot
      data that will lead to submission of an R01 to determine the efficacy of the intervention,
      compared to a adolescent-only, skills-based HIV prevention group and a general health
      promotion group, in a larger sample of Latinos. An efficacious intervention is urgently
      needed for Latino communities.
    

Intervention name(s): Family-Based HIV Prevention for Latinos; General Health Promotion
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): 7-hour one-day workshop with adolescents and parents in separate and joint sessions; 7 hour one-day workshop on general health promotion topics
Other intervention name(s): Latino STYLE
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Prevention
Keywords: HIV; prevention; families; Latinos; communication; sexuality; monitoring; health promotion; HIV Prevention; HIV Seronegativity