Network determinants of risk among formerly incarcerated Latino men

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This application addresses Broad Challenge Area 01 Behavior, Behavioral Change, and Prevention. The specific topic is: Capturing Social Network Information for Groups at High Risk for Negative Health Behaviors; OD-09-003. Latinos in the United States are disproportionally affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, which has led to AIDS being the fourth leading cause of death for Latinos. Among Latinos, formerly incarcerated Latino men (FILM) are a critical group in the spread of HIV/AIDS. Latino men are overrepresented in U.S. correctional facilities, and incarceration has been identified as a major risk factor for HIV. Despite the high level of vulnerability to HIV-infection, HIV-prevention interventions targeting the unique needs of FILM are scarce. The majority of HIV- prevention interventions have failed to consider the role of social-familial networks in the post-incarceration experiences of FILM. The lack of attention to contextual factors is worrisome, as research supports the importance of understanding cultural, familial and social network factors for reducing HIV-infection among disproportionately affected populations, including Latinos and formerly incarcerated men. The overall goal of the current submission is to study the role of familial and social networks among FILM in order to develop the foundation for a network-based intervention to reduce HIV among FILM. To advance that broad goal, we propose the following specific aims: 1.) To conduct sixty network-based, open-ended interviews in order to elicit: (a) perspectives about FILM'S reentry into community networks, (b) information on network leisure activities with special emphasis on marijuana and alcohol binge use followed by sexual behavior, and (c) collective expectancies regarding: collective risk behaviors and network members' role in supporting FILM's efforts to reduce concurrent HIV-related risk behaviors. 2.) On the basis of the above data collected, develop a linguistically and culturally appropriate measurement of network and individual HIV risk for FILM, and examine the relationships between network and behavioral determinants on FILM HIV risk behavior via the application of a cross-sectional survey with a sample of 200 FILM and 200 nominated network referents. 3.) To examine the collective meanings attached to (and practices related to) alcohol and marijuana binge use and sexual risk behavior, in order to compare differences among the diverse networks of FILM with respect to the level of collective HIV risk as well as network-level protective factors. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The proposed study will be one of the first studies to investigate HIV risks among networks of formerly incarcerated men. 1. This will be one of the first studies to explicitly examine how social network systems influence concurrent sexual risk, alcohol and marijuana binge use among formerly incarcerated Latino men (FILM). 2. While other studies recruit individuals in order to create superficial intervention groups, where individuals do not necessarily know each other (to participate in sessions where very personal issues are discussed), we propose a network approach research that will lead to future network-based interventions within already existing social networks of FILM with the potential impact of enhancing the health of entire social networks. 3. The proposed study will contribute to the emerging research on ethnic minority men's health and foundational research for effective prevention programming for FILM, a consistently overlooked population in public health.