The development and evaluation of innovative strategies designed to enhance the maintenance of HIV-preventive behaviors following exposure to a risk-reduction intervention, over an extended time period, remains a public health priority. The proposed study, STARS: Students Talking About Real Solutions, utilizes a randomized controlled trial design to evaluate the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of two relapse prevention strategies. The proposed study will recruit 650 African American women between the ages of 18-24 currently enrolled in the Job Corps training program in Atlanta, Georgia. All students will complete an ACASI baseline assessment. Students will then be randomized to one of two conditions either a telephone relapse prevention condition or a group relapse prevention condition. Students randomized to the telephone relapse prevention condition receive the SISTA HIV risk-reduction program, a 4-session, culturally-appropriate and gender tailored program for young adult African-American women that has been cited by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in their """"""""Compendium of HIV Prevention Interventions with Evidence of Effectiveness"""""""" and one 25-minute telephone relapse prevention session per month over the 24 month follow-up period (providing a total of 600 minutes of telephone relapse prevention education). The one-on-one telephone calls are personalized to address the individuals' skills and barriers (i.e. attitudinal, relational, skills, environmental) that serve as impediments to practicing safer sex. Students randomized to the group relapse prevention condition receive the same SISTA HIV risk-reduction program and five 120 minute group sessions following their scheduled follow-up assessments at 4-,8-, 12-, 16-, and 20-months post-intervention (providing a total of 600 minutes of group relapse prevention education). The group sessions are designed to reinforce group norms supportive of HIV prevention and address skill, attitudinal, relational, and environmental barriers to practicing safer sex. Thus, students in each condition receive the SISTA HIV intervention and are exposed to an equivalent amount of relapse prevention education designed to reinforce adherence to HIV-preventive behaviors. All students return at 4-,8-, 12-, 16-,20 and 24-month follow-up to complete an ACASI interview that is similar to the baseline assessment. An intent-to-treat analysis, controlling for baseline assessments, will determine the efficacy of the innovative telephone relapse prevention condition relative to the group relapse prevention condition to prevent relapse to HIV-associated sexual behaviors and enhance psychosocial mediators of HIV-preventive behaviors over 24 month follow-up. The proposed study will examine the cost-effectiveness of the telephone relapse prevention condition relative to the group relapse prevention condition.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
1R01MH062717-01
Application #
6287083
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZMH1-CRB-H (05))
Program Officer
Pequegnat, Willo
Project Start
2000-09-29
Project End
2005-08-31
Budget Start
2000-09-29
Budget End
2001-08-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2000
Total Cost
$468,720
Indirect Cost
Name
Emory University
Department
Psychology
Type
Schools of Public Health
DUNS #
042250712
City
Atlanta
State
GA
Country
United States
Zip Code
30322
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Seth, Puja; Wingood, Gina M; Robinson, LaShun S et al. (2014) The impact of alcohol use on HIV/STI intervention efficacy in predicting sexually transmitted infections among young African-American women. AIDS Behav 18:747-51
Wingood, Gina M; Diclemente, Ralph J; Robinson-Simpson, Lashun et al. (2013) Efficacy of an HIV intervention in reducing high-risk human papillomavirus, nonviral sexually transmitted infections, and concurrency among African American women: a randomized-controlled trial. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 63 Suppl 1:S36-43
Painter, Julia E; Wingood, Gina M; DiClemente, Ralph J et al. (2012) College graduation reduces vulnerability to STIs/HIV among African-American young adult women. Womens Health Issues 22:e303-10
Seth, Puja; Wingood, Gina M; DiClemente, Ralph J et al. (2011) Alcohol use as a marker for risky sexual behaviors and biologically confirmed sexually transmitted infections among young adult African-American women. Womens Health Issues 21:130-5
Seth, Puja; Raiford, Jerris L; Robinson, LaShun S et al. (2010) Intimate partner violence and other partner-related factors: correlates of sexually transmissible infections and risky sexual behaviours among young adult African American women. Sex Health 7:25-30
Seth, Puja; Wingood, Gina M; Robinson, Lashun S et al. (2009) Exposure to high-risk genital human papillomavirus and its association with risky sexual practices and laboratory-confirmed chlamydia among African-American women. Womens Health Issues 19:344-51
Wingood, Gina M; Seth, Puja; DiClemente, Ralph J et al. (2009) Association of sexual abuse with incident high-risk human papillomavirus infection among young African-American women. Sex Transm Dis 36:784-6