The proposed health education pilot project seeks to apply a model for a comprehensive HIV, substance use and mental health prevention program to reduce risky sexual behaviors (RSB), substance use behaviors, and recidivism once the inmate returns to the community. The intervention will be evaluated with a randomized design that will compare adult women offenders across two conditions. Participants in one condition will receive a general health promotion placebo and will constitute the control condition (CC). Participants in a second condition will receive peer-led theory-based small group education with either an HIV negative or HIV positive ex-offender peer educator and community follow-up (PE+CF). Participants will complete assessments at baseline, immediate post-intervention, three and six months post-release.
The specific aims of the proposed study are to: (1) examine the effects of the intervention components on the primary study outcomes, (i.e., condom use, drug use, and recidivism) as well as related mediators of these behaviors (i.e., drug expectancies, self-efficacy for avoiding STD/HIV risks, future goal orientation, community and family involvement, and related psychosocial variables) believed to mediate these outcomes;(2) determine if the hypothesized mediators statistically account for, differences in outcomes. Mediation will be tested using the statistical procedures set forth by Baron &Kenny (1986);and (3) assess whether the effects of the PE+CF are moderated by characteristics of participants and/or processes associated with service delivery (e.g., number of sessions received, and consumer satisfaction).
The proposed project will address the lack of HIV, substance use and mental health prevention interventions for adult African American women prisoners. The lack of intervention programs for this population has a negative impact on public health and recidivism.
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