Impact of participation as a peer change agent on peer change agents themselves: a quantitative study of a peer-led, social media-based PrEP promotion intervention.

Despite the adoption of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) as a crucial HIV intervention, uptake remains suboptimal among men who have sex with men, a sexual minority group, due to barriers like cost and stigma. Peer change agents (PCAs) disseminate PrEP information within their social networks. This study explores the reciprocal effects of an online community-based participatory intervention on PCAs, focusing on their transformed PrEP uptake perceptions-leadership efficacy, social network dynamics, attitudes, perceived benefits and barriers and self-efficacy. Leveraging insights from the PrEP Chicago Study, our research addresses a key gap in community-based participatory interventions for PrEP uptake: the transformative experiences and perception shifts of PCAs involved in these interventions. We engaged 20 men who have sex with men, aged 18-45, as PCAs in a one-group pretest-posttest design intervention, which disseminated PrEP communications within their preferred online networks. We utilized the PrEP Chicago Study's 45 Likert items, tailored to reveal the PCAs' transformative potential. Data on PrEP uptake perceptions, sociodemographics and social media use were captured and analyzed using the Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test, a nonparametric method. PCAs demonstrated significant changes in their PrEP uptake perceptions, including leadership capacity, social network dynamics, attitudes toward PrEP, perceived benefits, barriers and self-efficacy. Our intervention highlights the reciprocal transformation PCAs undergo when disseminating PrEP information. This study adds a new dimension to community-based PrEP interventions and underscores the need for continued refinement of peer-led strategies to optimize the transformative potential of PCAs.

Pertussis vaccination coverage among Australian women prior to childbirth in the cocooning era: a two-hospital, cross-sectional survey, 2010 to 2013.

BACKGROUND: Recent pertussis epidemics have triggered implementation of cocooning, involving caregiver vaccination to indirectly protecting susceptible infants. AIM: To determine patient, provider and setting factors associated with maternal pertussis booster vaccination (dTpa) within 5-10 years before childbirth. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional survey using Health Belief Model constructs among postpartum women in a tertiary referral centre and a private hospital in Sydney, Australia. RESULTS: Pertussis vaccination was current among 33.7% of the 2483 new mothers (0.5% vaccinated during pregnancy). Women were more likely to be vaccinated if they had heard of 'whooping cough' from a health professional (OR: 2.59, P < 0.001, 95% CI: 1.70-3.95), were recommended the vaccine (OR: 2.48, P < 0.00, 95% CI: 1.55-4.00), perceived pertussis as 'severe' for adults (OR: 1.21, p0.009, 95% CI: 1.05-1.39) and 'common' within their community (OR: 1.38, P < 0.001, 95% CI: 1.18-1.61). They more often agreed that it was their parental responsibility to be vaccinated (OR: 1.61, P = 0.002, 95% CI: 1.19-2.18), and this would help prevent their baby from contracting pertussis (OR: 1.22, P = 0.046, 95% CI: 1.00-1.47). Vaccinated women were less likely to report vaccination barriers: time constraints (OR: 0.75, P < 0.001, 95% CI: 0.66-0.85) and having safety concerns (OR: 0.80, P < 0.001, 95% CI: 0.69-0.92). Additionally, their partners reported three times higher uptake (76% vs 49%; P < 0.001; 95% CI: 2.66-3.85). CONCLUSIONS: Current pertussis vaccination in only one in every three postpartum participants may indicate insufficient coverage to protect newborns. Practitioners are instrumental in raising awareness and addressing vaccine concerns. Integrating vaccination into routine obstetric care, whether antenatally or postnatally, may minimise barriers.

Understanding pregnant women's attitudes and behavior toward influenza and pertussis vaccination.

Internationally, pregnant and postpartum women have been the focus of influenza and pertussis immunization campaigns, with differing levels of vaccine acceptance. We used semistructured interviews to explore pregnant women's perspectives on influenza vaccination during pregnancy and postpartum pertussis vaccination. Many women saw pregnancy as a busy time filled with advice on what they "should" and "should not" do to ensure the health of their fetus, and vaccinating themselves was regarded as just one of these tasks needing consideration. Women were more concerned about potential risks to their infants' health before their own. They saw influenza as a disease affecting the mother, whereas they viewed pertussis as a threat to the baby and therefore comparatively more risky. They were thus more likely to intend to vaccinate against pertussis to protect their infant. Framing of vaccination information toward protection of the baby might help increase vaccine uptake among pregnant women.

Uptake of influenza vaccine by pregnant women: a cross-sectional survey.

OBJECTIVES: To determine influenza vaccination coverage among pregnant women in New South Wales, and factors associated with vaccine uptake during pregnancy. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Quantitative self-administered survey of pregnant women, using a non-random, stratified sample from antenatal clinics at three demographically diverse hospitals in NSW during the influenza season of 2011. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Self-reported influenza vaccine uptake while pregnant; and attitudes, barriers and facilitators to vaccine acceptance during pregnancy. RESULTS: Of 939 women approached, 815 participated (87%). Influenza vaccine uptake in pregnant women was 27%. Women who had received a recommendation to have the vaccine were 20.0 times (95% CI, 10.9-36.9) more likely to have been vaccinated. Forty-two per cent recalled receiving a recommendation to be vaccinated. Other factors associated with vaccination were study site, perceived infection severity, overall feelings toward vaccination during pregnancy, vaccine accessibility, and willingness to take up the vaccine if recommended. Concern about the baby's safety was negatively associated with vaccination (odds ratio, 0.5; 95% CI, 0.2-0.9), but 68% (95% CI, 63%-71%) of women who expressed concern agreed they would have the vaccine if their health care professional recommended it. CONCLUSION: Recommendation from a health care provider is strongly associated with influenza vaccine uptake among pregnant women and can overcome their concerns about safety, but less than half the women surveyed reported receiving such a recommendation. Educational material targeting pregnant women and professional education and support for antenatal health care providers are needed to increase awareness and recommendation.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices towards PrEP from Cisgender Men and Transgender Women Who Have Sex with Men in the Largest Suburban HIV Epidemic.

We conducted a cross-sectional web-based study to assess attitudes and experiences with HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) amongst a multiracial cohort of gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women in Long Island, New York. Participants were recruited through clinical providers and community-based organizations. The survey assessed knowledge and attitudes toward PrEP and factors that facilitate willingness to take it. Of the 189 respondents, most participants were Latinx/Hispanic (57.1%; n = 105), gay-identifying (81.2%; n = 151), and cisgender men (88.7%; n = 165). One in five participants completed high school or lower (19.4%; n = 36). Among those who had never used PrEP (53.4%; n = 101), nearly all participants were willing to use it if it were free or covered as part of their insurance (89.4%; n = 84). The most common barriers to not using PrEP was not knowing where to obtain it (68.3%; n = 69), concerns about side effects (42.1%; n = 35), and concerns about affordability (38.5%; n = 25). This study discusses specific nuances to the suburbs, including cultural norms and structural barriers that should be incorporated in health promotion initiatives in addressing these factors.

Hookah use patterns, social influence and associated other substance use among a sample of New York City public university students.

BACKGROUND: Most hookah use studies have not included racial and ethnic minorities which limits our understanding of its use among these growing populations. This study aimed to investigate the individual characteristics of hookah use patterns and associated risk behaviors among an ethnically diverse sample of college students. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of 2460 students (aged 18-25) was conducted in 2015, and data was analyzed in 2017. Descriptive statistics were used to present the sociodemographic characteristics, hookah use-related behavior, and binge drinking and marijuana use according to the current hookah use group, including never, exclusive, dual/poly hookah use. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to examine how hookah related behavior and other risk behaviors varied by sociodemographics and hookah use patterns. RESULTS: Among current hookah users (n = 312), 70% were exclusive hookah users and 30% were dual/poly hookah users. There were no statistically significant differences in sociodemographic characteristics except for race/ethnicity (p < 0.05). Almost half (44%) of the exclusive hookah users reported having at least five friends who also used hookah, compared to 30% in the dual/poly use group. Exclusive users were less likely to report past year binge drinking (17%) and past year marijuana use (25%) compared to those in the dual/poly use group (44 and 48% respectively); p < 0.001. CONCLUSIONS: The socialization aspects of hookah smoking seem to be associated with its use patterns. Our study calls for multicomponent interventions designed to target poly tobacco use as well as other substance use that appears to be relatively common among hookah users.