On New York City's Lower East Side (LES) pre-adolescents and adolescents (age 10-16) of color have been at risk for HIV/STI/pregnancy/hepatitis through: 1) transition to adolescent life-styles with high prevalence of risky sexual and/or drug use behaviors, 2) poor access to current information about HIV, and 3) high local sero-prevalence -- 6% to 10% of adults/adolescents are HIV antibody sero-positive. LES children are witnesses to an epidemic. Youth and their parents have many occasions for dangerous or safe, stigmatizing or sensitive, interactions with persons with HIV (PHIVs), many of whom are family members or friends. LES youth have been exposed to community violence throughout their childhood, and, on September 11, 2001, they and their parents were highly affected by the World Trade Center Disaster. Under previous funding, we adapted, implemented, expanded, and evaluated a curriculum, Parent/Preadolescent Training for HIV Prevention (PATH), in a randomized clinical trial with 375 mother and father figures of 375 10-13 year old boys and girls. We used random dwelling unit quota sampling and a random invitation design, created curricular and evaluation materials in English and Spanish, and extended follow-up to two and a half years post baseline. Some PATH data was destroyed during the World Trade Center Disaster and our two and a half-year data remains incomplete. However, since some key outcomes are memorable, e.g., first sexual intercourse, important data can be efficiently obtained with new data collection. Over 80% of the original cohort is available and willing to continue their participation. Power analyses suggest 64% of the cohort would be sufficient for planned analyses. This competing continuation aims to 1) add final post-9/11 waves of data collection; 2) carry out a data analysis and publication plan which incorporates advances in the treatment of missing data, latent growth modeling and the analysis of data sets with multiple levels (e.g., individual, family); 3) assess possible impact of 9/11 and community violence exposure on risk or mental health, and 4) describe any mitigating effects of PATH's parent-child communication intervention. PATH-3 lays out a four-year publication plan. Data to date has supported replications in Mexico City and Miami. Some publications will focus on commonalties or disparities between implementation experiences or outcomes.
| Krauss, Beatrice J; Godfrey, Christopher C; O'Day, Joanne et al. (2006) Hugging my uncle: the impact of a parent training on children's comfort interacting with persons living with HIV. J Pediatr Psychol 31:891-904 |
| Krauss, Beatrice J; O'Day, Joanne; Godfrey, Christopher et al. (2006) Who wins in the status games? Violence, sexual violence, and an emerging single standard among adolescent women. Ann N Y Acad Sci 1087:56-73 |
