Tech-based HIV prevention program proves efficient for rural African American households | Vanderbilt Information

Expertise could also be a viable choice for lowering HIV danger in underserved households in rural communities, in line with a brand new Vanderbilt report. 

Researchers designed and evaluated the effectiveness of a technology-delivered HIV danger prevention program, Pathways for African American Success, to deal with the comparatively excessive HIV charges in rural African American communities. PAAS is designed particularly to extend informational entry to such communities, that are much less more likely to have entry to in-person HIV help and prevention packages present in bigger cities.

“Our findings counsel that the PAAS technology-delivered program is simply as efficient as an in-person, facilitator-led small group in dissuading HIV-related danger behaviors amongst rural African American youths,” stated lead creator Velma McBride Murry. “This enjoyable, interactive program permits households to entry classes at their comfort and personal tempo, addressing a niche in eHealth digital packages.”

Murry, who holds the Lois Autrey Betts Chair in Schooling and Human Improvement at Vanderbilt Peabody Faculty of schooling and human growth, collaborated with colleagues at Clemson College and Arizona State College on the research.

They discovered that in contrast with households who met with a facilitator in individual, these within the PAAS on-line group demonstrated considerably stronger parent-child communication, together with improved dialogue high quality, clearly articulated norms and parental expectations about danger engagement.

Members additionally reported lowered intentions to interact in dangerous behaviors six months post-intervention.

Expertise-delivered packages for HIV prevention are also promising as a result of they’re less expensive and fewer labor intensive than conventional small group-based preventive intervention packages.

“This enjoyable, interactive program permits households to entry classes at their comfort and personal tempo, addressing a niche in eHealth digital packages.”
–Velma McBride Murry

This analysis was supported by the Nationwide Institute of Psychological Well being grant MH063043 and the Lois Autrey Betts Chair in Schooling and Human Improvement.

Learn “The Pathways for African American Success: Does Supply Platform Matter within the Prevention of HIV Threat Vulnerability Amongst Youth?” in Journal of Adolescent Well being.

Further authors: Heather Hensman Kettrey, Clemson College; Cady Berkel, Arizona State College; and Misha N. Inniss-Thompson, Vanderbilt College.

Learn the group’s associated research, The Pathways for African American Success: Outcomes of Three-Arm Randomized Trial to Check the Results of Expertise-Based mostly Supply for Rural African American Households,” in Journal of Pediatric Psychology.