A preliminary evaluation of a community-based campaign to increase awareness of concurrency and HIV transmission in African American and African-Born communities

AIDS Behav. 2015 Oct;19(10):1782-91. doi: 10.1007/s10461-015-1017-y.

Abstract

We evaluate an innovative grassroots community-based campaign in Seattle, WA focused on educating African American and African-born communities about concurrent partnerships and HIV transmission. Respondents completed a short self-administered questionnaire on a handheld personal digital assistant to evaluate the reach, acceptability and preliminary efficacy of the campaign. Of those who remembered seeing the campaign materials (82 %), social networks were the most common source of exposure (80 %). Respondents rated campaign materials very visually attractive (86 %), very interesting (91 %), and very important for themselves (90 %) and their community (93 %). Respondents reported that the campaign increased their knowledge about concurrency (84 %), changed their attitudes about it (77 %), and 65 % said it was likely or very likely that they would change their behavior as a result. This inexpensive grassroots campaign demonstrated extensive reach in the local black community and was able to move beyond individual exposure and into social networks.

Keywords: African American; African-born; Concurrency; Grassroots; HIV.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Black People / statistics & numerical data*
  • Black or African American / statistics & numerical data*
  • Community-Based Participatory Research*
  • Female
  • HIV Infections / epidemiology
  • HIV Infections / prevention & control*
  • HIV Infections / transmission
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
  • Health Promotion / methods*
  • Health Surveys
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Prevalence
  • Residence Characteristics
  • Sexual Behavior / statistics & numerical data
  • Washington / epidemiology
  • Young Adult