Using online social networks for HIV prevention in African American/Latino MSM

描述(申请人提供)：本K01提案的目的是获得培训和使用在线社交网络的经验，以加强艾滋病毒预防、沟通和行为改变。这项提案旨在确定利用在线社交网络扩大同龄人社区领袖模式的可接受性、可行性和初步有效性，以加强非洲裔美国人和拉丁裔男男性行为者(MSM)的艾滋病毒预防。以社区为基础的行为改变模式，如同伴社区领袖模式，已被证明可以增加艾滋病毒预防行为。像Facebook.com这样的社交网络可能是扩展基于社区的模式的一个经济高效的平台。尽管互联网早年主要由中上阶层白人人口使用，但非洲裔美国人和拉美裔家庭的互联网使用量最近大幅增加，特别是在Facebook.com等在线社交网络上。使用互联网的人感染艾滋病毒的风险可能最高，他们正在使用新的互联网方法来寻找性伴侣，例如通过在线社交网络。没有发表的研究着眼于基于社区的艾滋病毒预防模式是否可以使用在线社交网络进行扩展，这使这成为一项重要的可行性研究。我们提出了以下具体目标来解决这项研究：具体目标1：使用定性的方法来探索在线社交网络是否以及如何可以用于预防非裔美国人和拉丁裔MSM中的艾滋病毒。具体目标2：评估利用在线社交网络预防艾滋病毒的最佳沟通方法，并利用这一知识为同行领导人创建2个结构化指南(一个针对非裔美国人MSM，一个针对拉丁裔MSM)，以向非洲裔和拉丁裔MSM传播艾滋病毒预防行为变化信息。具体目标3：设计一项试点研究，评估利用在线社交网络增加非裔美国人和拉丁裔MSM的检测和艾滋病毒预防行为的可行性、可接受性和初步有效性。从这项研究中收集的试点数据将被用来制定一项更大规模随机试验的R01提案，旨在评估在线社交网络是否可以用于扩大基于社区的预防干预措施，以增加检测并减少艾滋病毒在艾滋病毒高危社区内的传播。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The purpose of this K01 proposal is to gain training and experience using online social networks to increase HIV prevention communication and behavior change. This proposal seeks to determine the acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary effectiveness of using online social networks to scale peer community leader models to increase HIV prevention within African-American and Latino men who have sex with men (MSM). Community-based behavior change models such as the peer community leader model have been proven to increase HIV prevention behaviors. Social networks such as Facebook.com may be a cost-effective platform for scaling community-based models. Although primarily upper middle-class White populations used the Internet in its early years, Internet use within African-American and Latino households has recently increased dramatically, especially on online social networks such as Facebook.com. People using the Internet may be at the highest risk for contracting HIV and are using novel Internet approaches to find sex partners, such as through online social networks. No published studies have looked at whether community-based HIV prevention models can be scaled using online social networks, making this an important feasibility study. We propose the following specific aims to address this research: Specific Aim 1: Use qualitative methods to explore whether and how online social networks can be used for HIV prevention in African American and Latino MSM. Specific Aim 2: Assess the best communication methods for using online social networks for HIV prevention and use this knowledge to create 2 structured guides (one guide for African American MSM and one guide for Latino MSM) for peer leaders to disseminate HIV prevention behavior change information to African American and Latino MSM. Specific Aim 3: Design a pilot study to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of using online social networks to increase testing and HIV prevention behaviors in African American and Latino MSM. The pilot data collected from this study will be used to develop an R01 proposal for a larger randomized trial designed to assess whether online social networks can be used to scale community-based prevention interventions to increase testing and decrease HIV transmission within communities at disproportionately high-risk for HIV.