Alcohol and marijuana use outcomes in the Healthy Choices motivational interviewing intervention for HIV-positive youth

AIDS Patient Care STDS. 2012 Feb;26(2):95-100. doi: 10.1089/apc.2011.0157. Epub 2011 Dec 22.

Abstract

Healthy Choices is a motivational interviewing intervention targeting multiple risk behaviors among HIV-positive youth. This study investigated the effects of this intervention program specifically on alcohol and marijuana use. Youth living with HIV (n = 143, mean age = 20.7, 51.5% male) were recruited from four sites in the United States, and randomly assigned to intervention or control conditions. The four-session intervention focused on two of three possible problem behaviors based on entry screening; this study focused on 143 HIV-positive youth who received the intervention for substance use. At 15-month follow-up past-week alcohol use was significantly lower for intervention youth than control youth (39.7% versus 53.6%, χ2 = 2.81, 0.05 < p < 0.01); developmental trajectory analysis demonstrated significant reductions in alcohol use, but more importantly the intervention was effective over time in significantly reducing the adolescent's probability of being classified into the high-risk trajectory group. The intervention was less effective in reducing marijuana use.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Alcohol Drinking / epidemiology
  • Alcohol Drinking / prevention & control*
  • Alcohol Drinking / psychology
  • Female
  • HIV Seropositivity / epidemiology
  • HIV Seropositivity / psychology
  • HIV Seropositivity / rehabilitation*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Marijuana Smoking / epidemiology
  • Marijuana Smoking / prevention & control*
  • Marijuana Smoking / psychology
  • Motivation
  • Outcome Assessment, Health Care
  • Risk-Taking
  • Substance-Related Disorders / epidemiology
  • Substance-Related Disorders / prevention & control*
  • Substance-Related Disorders / psychology
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • United States / epidemiology
  • Young Adult