Predictors of participation in an HIV risk reduction intervention for socially deprived Latino women: a cross sectional cohort study.

BACKGROUND

Little is known about predictors of participation and attrition in HIV prevention programs for socially deprived Latino women.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to examine factors that predict program participation and attrition among Latino women in a community-based, culturally specific HIV risk reduction intervention.

DESIGN

This was a cross-sectional comparison of baseline data drawn from a randomized HIV risk reduction trial.

SETTINGS

Information was drawn from study subjects residing in a predominately Latino low-income community in Chicago.

PARTICIPANTS

Among 404 study subjects in the intervention group, 214 of Latino women who had attended at least 5 of 6 intervention sessions were considered participants. One hundred and twelve women who never attended and 29 of women who attended fewer than 3 sessions were considered dropouts.

METHODS

The baseline data of program participants were compared to those of dropouts. The influence of the following factors on program participation was examined: sociodemographic characteristics, self-esteem, HIV knowledge, intimate partner violence, depression, and communication with partner.

RESULTS

Logistic regression analysis showed that Mexican women were more likely to participate in the intervention program than Puerto Rican women (odds ratio (OR)=1.88, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.64, 4.23). Other significant predictors of program participation included: being older (OR=1.08, 95% CI=1.03, 1.14), unemployed (OR=0.46, 95% CI=0.25, 0.83), having higher risk reduction behavior intentions score (OR=1.16, 95% CI=1.06, 1.26), and lower level of depressive symptoms (OR=0.97, 95% CI=0.95, 0.99).

CONCLUSIONS

The recruitment and retention strategies should be developed by considering those important predictors of intervention participation to prevent Latino women from dropping out of the HIV prevention program.