Men who have sex with men continue to be at highest risk of HIV infection, with Black and Latino men who have sex with men [BLMSM] disproportionately at risk. The impact of alcohol consumption on condomless anal intercourse [CAI] is compounded for BLMSM by unique risk factors like internalized homophobia and racial stigma, reinforcing barriers to treatment. The traditional formats of existing HIV interventions fail to address heightened confidentiality concerns of BLMSM and few target both CAI and alcohol use. Existing interventions may be modified with mobile health [mhealth] technologies to improve outcomes for BLMSM. The current study examined the feasibility and acceptability of a novel mhealth intervention to reduce heavy drinking episodes [HDE], reduce CAI, and increase intentions to use pre-exposure prophylaxis medication [PrEP]. METHODS: Enrollment criteria included (1) Black and/or Latino man, (2) at least one episode of CAI with another man in the past six months, (3) at least one HDE in the past month and (4) no current PrEP use. Twelve participants completed a brief videoconferencing session then four weeks of interactive mobile messages. Outcome assessment was completed 8-weeks post-baseline. To assess feasibility and acceptability (primary outcomes), message response rates, ratings of intervention satisfaction (Client Satisfaction Questionnaire-8, CSQ), and ratings from a 10-item acceptability measure were used. RESULTS: Message response rates (M= 96%, SD = 0.04, Mdn = 98%) indicated high engagement. Ratings at follow-up indicated high acceptability (item rating M = 1.77, SD = 0.73, Mdn = 1.45; scores range from 1-5, lower ratings indicate higher acceptability) and high satisfaction (CSQ M = 26.7, SD = 4.08, Mdn = 27.5; scores range from 8-32, higher scores indicate higher satisfaction). Descriptive statistics were used to characterize post-intervention outcomes. HDEs decreased by 45% from baseline while PrEP use intentions remained largely unchanged (decreased by 5%). Only three of twelve participants reported CAI at post-intervention. DISCUSSION: Results show high engagement, acceptability, and satisfaction with the mhealth modality and support the feasibility of this approach to address HDE among BLMSM. Future efficacy testing of this novel mhealth intervention via randomized controlled trial is warranted.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bu.edu/oai:open.bu.edu:2144/44107 |
| Date | 30 March 2022 |
| Creators | Chavez, Kathryn Eve |
| Contributors | Palfai, Tibor P. |
| Source Sets | Boston University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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