Respecting tribal voices in the development of a gestational diabetes risk reduction preconception counseling program for American Indian/Alaska Native adolescent females: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) are disproportionately affected by adolescent obesity, adolescent pregnancy and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). GDM is associated with increased risk for perinatal death, obesity, and subsequent type 2 diabetes (T2D) for the offspring. Moreover, mothers with GDM are also at increased risk for T2D post-partum. Yet few lifestyle interventions exist to reduce GDM risk prior to pregnancy. We describe the process of adapting an existing validated preconception counseling intervention for AI/AN adolescent girls at-risk for GDM and their mothers. Perspectives and recommendations were gathered from a diverse array of stakeholders to assure the new program called Stopping GDM was culturally responsive and developed with tribal voices and perspectives represented. METHODS: We conducted focus groups and individual interviews with multiple AI/AN stakeholders (n = 55). Focus groups and interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using a thematic content approach to construct cross-cutting themes across the focus groups and interviews. RESULTS: Four key themes emerged reflecting issues important to planning a reproductive health intervention: 1) Limited awareness, knowledge, and health education resources about GDM; 2) The importance of acknowledging traditional AI/AN values and the diversity of traditions and culture among AI/AN tribes; 3) The need to cultivate healthy decision-making skills and empower girls to make safe and healthy choices; and 4) Lack of communication about reproductive health between AI/AN mothers and daughters and between AI/AN women and health care professionals. CONCLUSION: Findings have been used to inform the cultural tailoring and adaptation of an existing preconception counseling program, originally designed for non-AI/AN adolescent girls with diabetes, for AI/AN adolescents at-risk for GDM in future pregnancies.

Dual-Method Contraception Use Among Young Women Pre- and Post-ACA Implementation.

The 2012 implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) contraceptive coverage mandate removed financial barriers to contraception access for many insured women. Since that time, increases in sexually transmitted disease (STD) rates have been noted, particularly among Black adolescent and young adult women aged 15 to 24 years. It is unclear whether changes in dual-method contraception use (simultaneous use of nonbarrier contraceptive methods and condoms) are associated with the increase in STD rates. A repeated cross-sectional analysis was conducted among adolescent and young adult women to compare pre-ACA data from the 2006-2010 cohort and post-ACA data from the 2013-2015 cohort of the National Survey for Family Growth. A significant decrease in short-acting reversible contraception use (SARC; 78.2% vs. 67.5%; p < .01) and a significant increase in long-acting reversible contraception use (LARC; 8.9% vs. 21.8%; p < .01) were found, but no significant change in dual-method contraception use was found among pre- versus post-ACA SARC users and SARC nonusers (odds ratio [OR]: 1.88, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.64-5.46, p = .25), LARC users and LARC nonusers (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.62, 95% CI: 0.42-6.18, p = .48), or White and Black women (AOR: 1.45, 95% CI: 0.66-3.18, p = .35). There was no direct association between changes in contraception use and decreased condom use and therefore no indirect association between changes in contraception use and increased STD rates. Health care providers should continue promoting consistent condom use. Additional research is needed to understand recent increases in STD rates among Black women in the post-ACA era.

Reproductive health care across the lifecourse of the female cancer patient.

Reproductive health is a key component of cancer care and survivorship, encompassing gynecologic issues ranging from contraception and fertility to treatment of sexual dysfunction and menopause. Yet, oncology providers are often unfamiliar with the management of gynecologic issues. In order to address the unmet needs of female cancer patients, reproductive health should be addressed at the time of cancer diagnosis and continue through survivorship. Universal screening for pregnancy intention can guide counseling on contraception and fertility preservation. Safe and efficacious contraceptive options for both patients undergoing active treatment and cancer survivors are available and can often offer non-contraceptive benefits such as regulation of menses. Prompt referral to reproductive endocrinology specialists allows patients to explore options for fertility preservation prior to the receipt of cancer-directed therapies. Due to a rapid drop in hormone levels, treatment-induced menopause often results in severe symptoms. In patients with induced menopause, balancing the risks of hormone therapy compared to the decreased quality of life and health concerns associated with early menopause may help patients with difficult decisions regarding symptom control. Cancer treatment impacts sexual function with both physical changes to the vulvovaginal tissues and altered relationship dynamics. Open discussions on the impact to sexual health are paramount to quality of life after cancer. While more data is needed in many areas, proactive management of reproductive health issues is crucial to quality of life in cancer survivorship. In this article, we review contemporary management of the reproductive health of the female cancer patient.

Adolescents and parental caregivers as lay health advisers in a community-based risk reduction intervention for youth: baseline data from Teach One, Reach One.

The purpose of the current study is to describe the demographic, behavioral, and psychosocial characteristics of adolescent and caregiver lay health advisers (LHAs) participating in an intervention designed to reduce risk behaviors among rural African-American adolescents. Teach One, Reach One integrates constructs from the Theory of Planned Behavior and Social Cognitive Theory. It acknowledges that changing the sexual behaviors of African-American adolescents requires changing one's knowledge, attitudes, normative beliefs about the behavior of peers, and self-efficacy regarding adolescent sexual behavior, parent-teen communication about sex, and healthy dating relations among adolescents. Study participants completed baseline questionnaires assessing demographics and psychosocial determinants (knowledge, attitudes, perceived social norms, and self-efficacy) of sexual behaviors. Sixty-two adolescent and caregiver dyads participated. Caregivers included biological parents, legal guardians, or other parental figures. Strengths and areas in need of improvement were determined using median splits. Few adolescents had initiated sex. Their strengths included high levels of open parent-teen communication; positive attitudes and normative beliefs regarding both sex communication and healthy dating relationships; and high knowledge and self-efficacy for healthy dating behaviors. Areas needing improvement included low knowledge, unfavorable attitudes, poor normative beliefs, and low self-efficacy regarding condom use. Caregiver strengths included positive attitudes, normative beliefs, and self-efficacy for sex communication; positive attitudes and self-efficacy for condom use; and low acceptance of couple violence. Areas needing improvement included low levels of actual communication about sex and low knowledge about effective communication strategies and condom use. The current study highlights the value of assessing baseline characteristics of LHAs prior to intervention implementation, as it enables a better understanding of the key characteristics necessary for planning and implementing interventions, as well as engaging in targeted training activities.

A Process Evaluation of an HIV/STI Intervention for Rural African American Youth.

We evaluated the fidelity and implementation of an HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections intervention for rural African American youth. Using a community-based evaluation approach, community partners and researchers monitored four core process-evaluation components: reach, fidelity, dose delivered, and dose received. Researchers collected evaluation data through session observations, facilitator debriefing interviews, a youth focus group, and a satisfaction survey. For reach, more than half of the participants attended the 13 sessions. Participation varied between 62% and 100%. For fidelity, not all sessions were implemented as intended; multiple modifications occurred across sessions. For dose delivered, some lessons were missing materials and content was omitted; facilitators omitted content when there was insufficient time to complete a lesson. For dose received, engagement varied across lessons but youth reported high levels of satisfaction with the intervention. This formative process evaluation enabled us to identify and address multiple challenges to implementation.

Contraception Initiation in the Emergency Department: Adolescent Perspectives.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify factors affecting contraceptive intention and behavior among adolescent females in the pediatric Emergency Department. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative interview study nested within a larger prospective cohort study examining adolescent contraceptive counseling for females ages 15-18 years at-risk of unintended pregnancy presenting to the pediatric Emergency Department. Interviews were conducted in a subset of participants. The ecologically expanded Theory of Planned Behavior, expert opinion, and literature review informed the interview guide. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, coded and monitored for thematic saturation. RESULTS: Twenty-eight interviews were analyzed. Mean age was 17.1 years. Themes were mapped to ecologically expanded Theory of Planned Behavior constructs. Within health system influences, prior contraceptive experiences and patient-clinician interactions were described. Within community influences, contraceptive education, knowledge and misinformation, teen pregnancy norms, and social media impacts were described. Within attitudes influences, side-effect and safety concerns, contraceptive motivations and teen pregnancy beliefs were described. Within subjective norm influences, peer and family impacts were described. Within perceived behavioral control, Emergency Department (ED) counseling intervention impacts were described. DISCUSSION: We identified factors affecting contraceptive initiation/behavior among an ED adolescent population that otherwise may not have received contraceptive education in similar detail as provided by study clinicians. Adolescents' prior contraceptive and clinician interactions, limited access to contraceptive education, knowledge and misinformation, and side-effect and safety concerns affected initiation. Peer/family sharing and social media were leading contraceptive information sources. Future studies should incorporate insights into adolescent ED intervention design to make optimal use of resources while maximizing potential benefit.

A qualitative exploration of the role of social networks in educating urban African American adolescents about sex.

OBJECTIVE: To explore social network members' role in educating African American adolescents about sexual health issues. DESIGN: We conducted 21 focus groups with urban African American mothers (n=51), fathers (n=18), sons (n=20), and daughters (n=36) from Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA, between December 2007 and March 2008. At least one biological parent (or legal guardian) and one adolescent aged 15-17 years from each family participated. Group conversations were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using directive content analysis and the constant comparison method. Two coders independently read each transcript to identify emergent themes. RESULTS: A broad range of people were reportedly involved in the education process. Older siblings, extended family, and peers were most commonly cited. However, unrelated adults were also described as playing important roles. Unrelated adults included the friends of an adolescent's parents and the parents of an adolescent's friends or romantic partners. Social network members were said to address three main issues: the facts about sex and sexuality, the social aspects of sexuality (e.g., appropriate dating behaviors, choosing dating partners), and promotion of family values. When educating adolescents about sex, social network members were described as playing eight functional roles, including that of a teacher, guide, challenger, confidant, shelterer, supervisor-chaperone, role model, and provider of access to reproductive health services. These roles were not mutually exclusive, meaning that social network members often assumed different roles depending on the situation. The influence of individuals who were not an adolescent's parent was highly dependent on adolescents' relationship with their parents or on their parents' comfort dealing with sexual issues. CONCLUSIONS: African American adolescents' social networks were described by parents and adolescents as dense, complex, and routinely involved in educating adolescents about sex.

Multicenter study of human papillomavirus and the human papillomavirus vaccine: knowledge and attitudes among people of African descent.

OBJECTIVE: To compare knowledge and attitudes of human papillomavirus (HPV) and the vaccine between different cultures of African descent. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of 555 African-Americans and Afro-Caribbeans residing in the US and the Bahamas (BHM) was conducted. RESULTS: General knowledge about HPV and the HPV vaccine differed between the two countries significantly. Bahamian respondents were less likely to have higher numbers of correct knowledge answers when compared to Americans (Adjusted Odds Ratio [Adj. OR] 0.47, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 0.30-0.75). Older age, regardless of location, was also associated with answering fewer questions correctly (Adj. OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.40-0.92). Attitudes related to HPV vaccination were similar between the US and BHM, but nearly 80% of BHM respondents felt that children should not be able to receive the vaccine without parental consent compared to 57% of American respondents. CONCLUSIONS: Grave lack of knowledge, safety and cost concerns, and influence of parental restrictions may negatively impact vaccine uptake among African-American and Afro-Caribbean persons. Interventions to increase the vaccine uptake in the Caribbean must include medical provider and parental involvement. Effective strategies for education and increasing vaccine uptake in BHM are crucial for decreasing cervical cancer burden in the Caribbean.

Perceptions and acceptance of immunization during pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate patients' perceptions of the need, safety and acceptability of vaccination during pregnancy. STUDY DESIGN: An office-based survey was offered to patients presenting for obstetric and gynecologic care from December 2007 to July 2008 at an academic women's hospital. The anonymous questionnaire assessed demographics, medical and vaccination history, interest in receiving vaccines, and beliefs about vaccination safety. Data were evaluated using descriptive statistics and chi2 analyses. RESULTS: A total of 1,436 completed surveys were available for analysis, including 573 from pregnant women. Pregnant women were less likely than non-pregnant women to report perceived risks from vaccine-preventable illness (22.8% vs. 34.5%, p < 0.001) and to believe that their doctor thinks they should get vaccines (42.6% vs. 49.7%, p < 0.027). Nearly two-thirds (61%) reported concern about possible vaccine effects on their pregnancy. However, the overwhelming majority (89%) of pregnant women surveyed reported willingness to accept vaccination during pregnancy if recommended by their obstetrician. CONCLUSION: Despite concerns about vaccine safety and a low perceived need for immunization, most pregnant respondents endorse acceptance of vaccination when recommended by their obstetrician. These findings suggest that obstetric providers should maximize opportunities for uptake of appropriate immunizations during pregnancy.

Addressing Administrative and System-Level Challenges to Implementation of Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives in Adolescent Medicine and Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology Practices: A Qualitative Study.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Adolescents use long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) methods less than adults. Practices that specialize in adolescent medicine, including Adolescent Medicine (AM) and Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology (PAG), may be well positioned to help improve adolescent access to these methods. We describe administrative and system-level barriers encountered when implementing LARCs for adolescents and strategies that practices have successfully used to address these barriers. DESIGN/SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: We conducted a qualitative study with physicians and staff at AM and PAG practices that provide LARCs to adolescents. INTERVENTIONS: Semi-structured telephone interviews MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Interview guides were based on the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), an implementation science methodology designed to understand the following aspects of settings adopting new practices: innovation characteristics, external environment, institutional and practice settings, the stakeholders involved, and the implementation process. RESULTS: Seventeen interviews were performed. When examining administrative and system-level challenges encountered by interviewees, the four CFIR constructs identified most frequently were cost, readiness for implementation-available resources, planning, and engaging. Interviewees shared strategies used to overcome these common barriers, including for billing and working with insurance companies, space and equipment needed to introduce LARCs, scheduling and use of telemedicine, and staff training and engagement. CONCLUSION: Sites used many strategies to address these common challenges to implementation. Examples could help with implementation of LARC provision in practices serving adolescent populations.

Development of a clinical questionnaire to support contraception decisions in an adolescent reproductive health clinic in Colorado.

CONTEXT: Adolescents need support to make informed decisions about contraception. Few clinical questionnaires exist to help adolescents and their healthcare providers align contraception decisions with patient needs and preferences. METHODS: Our mixed-methods study involved a convenience sample of English-speaking, female patients aged 13-19 seeking contraception services at an adolescent reproductive health clinic in Colorado, USA. Qualitative interviews informed development of clinical questionnaire items. The questionnaire elicited demographic characteristics, pregnancy and contraception use history, preferred contraception attributes, peer and family involvement, healthcare information and support needs, motivations for contraceptive use, and barriers to contraceptive services. We identified key decision-making factors and reduced the number of questionnaire items through principal components analysis. Using multivariable analyses, we examined the correlation between questionnaire responses and current contraceptive method. RESULTS: Twenty individuals participated in interviews and 373 individuals completed the preliminary questionnaire with 63 candidate items. We identified five contraceptive decision-making factors: side-effect avoidance (eight items, Cronbach's alpha = 0.84), preferred method attributes (six items, Cronbach's alpha = 0.67), parental involvement (three items, Cronbach's alpha = 0.67), life goals prior to parenting (four items, Cronbach's alpha = 0.88), and access to a contraceptive provider (two items, Cronbach's alpha = 0.92) and nine stand-alone items. In multivariable analyses, we found that questionnaire responses for decision-making factors varied among participants using different contraceptive methods. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple priorities may influence adolescent contraceptive decisions. This clinical questionnaire can elicit these priorities before or during a healthcare encounter. Future studies should assess generalizability of the questionnaire and examine impact on method choice, continuation, satisfaction, and reproductive health outcomes.

Pediatric Resident Perspectives on Long-Acting Reversible Contraception Training: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Trainees.

PURPOSE: Although pediatricians are primary care providers for most adolescents, pediatric residents receive limited training on long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) methods. This study aimed to characterize pediatric resident comfort with placing contraceptive implants and intrauterine devices (IUDs) and assess pediatric resident interest in obtaining this training. METHODS: Pediatric residents in the United States were invited to participate in a survey assessing comfort with LARC methods and interest in LARC training during pediatric residency. Bivariate comparisons used Chi-square and Wilcoxon rank sum testing. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess associations between primary outcomes and covariates including geographic region, training level, and career plans. RESULTS: Six hundred twenty seven pediatric residents across the United States completed the survey. Participants were predominantly female (68.4%, n = 429), self-identified their race as White (66.1%, n = 412), and anticipated a career in a subspecialty other than Adolescent Medicine (53.0%, n = 326). Most residents were confident counseling patients on the risks and benefits, side effects, and effective use of contraceptive implants (55.6%, n = 344) and both hormonal and nonhormonal IUDs (53.0%, n = 324). Few residents reported comfort with inserting contraceptive implants (13.6%, n = 84) or IUDs (6.3%, n = 39), with most of these respondents having learned these skills as a medical student. Most participants believed that residents should receive training on insertion of contraceptive implants (72.3%, n = 447) and IUDs (62.5%, n = 374). DISCUSSION: Although most pediatric residents believe LARC training should be a component of pediatric residency training, few pediatric residents are comfortable with provision of this care.

Expanding Contraceptive Access for Teens-Leveraging the Pediatric Emergency Department.

PURPOSE: Adolescents have limited access to sexual healthcare services, and the emergency department (ED) may be the only place some will seek care. We implemented an ED-based contraception counseling intervention to assess intervention feasibility, and adolescent intention to initiate contraception, contraception initiation, and follow-up visit completion. METHODS: This prospective cohort study trained advanced practice providers in the EDs of two pediatric urban academic medical centers to deliver brief contraception counseling. A convenience sample of patients enrolled from 2019 to 2021 included females aged 15-18 not pregnant/desiring pregnancy and/or using hormonal contraception/an intrauterine device. Participants completed surveys to assess demographics and intention to initiate contraception (yes/no). Sessions were audiotaped and reviewed for fidelity. We ascertained contraception initiation and follow-up visit completion via medical record review and participant survey at 8 weeks. RESULTS: Twenty-seven advanced practice providers were trained, and 96 adolescents were counseled/responded to surveys (mean age 16.7 years; 19% non-Hispanic White, 56% non-Hispanic Black; 18% Hispanic). Mean counseling duration was 12 minutes and >90% of reviewed sessions maintained fidelity to content/style. Most participants (61%) reported intention to initiate contraception, and these participants were older and more likely to report prior contraceptive use, compared to those without intention. One-third (33%) initiated contraception in the ED or after the follow-up visit. DISCUSSION: Contraceptive counseling was feasible to integrate in the ED visit. Intention to initiate contraception was common and many adolescents initiated contraception. Future work should increase the pool of trained providers and supports for same-day contraception initiation for those desiring in this novel setting.

Contraceptive counseling for adolescents in the emergency department: A novel curriculum for nurse practitioners and physician assistants.

ABSTRACT: Many adolescents use the emergency department (ED) as their primary source of health care. As a result, the ED serves as a unique opportunity to reach adolescents. Although many adolescent visits to the ED are related to reproductive health, ED providers report barriers to providing this care, including lack of training. Nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) serve a vital role in the provision of consistent care to adolescents in the ED. The purpose of this study was to create a curriculum to train NPs and PAs at two pediatric institutions to provide patient-centered contraceptive counseling to adolescents in the pediatric ED regardless of their chief complaint. To do this, we created a four-part webinar followed by an in-person training session. Participants completed training and then conducted counseling sessions with adolescents in the ED. Counseling sessions were recorded and reviewed for fidelity to delineated counseling principles, and data from post-counseling surveys were collected. 27 NPs and PAs completed the training and conducted 99 counseling sessions. Nearly all sessions incorporated essential content and communication principles such as shared decision making (90%) and teach-back methods (75%). All NPs and PAs who participated reported satisfaction and subjective improvement in knowledge and competence from the training. This curriculum offers a novel and feasible approach to train NPs and PAs to deliver patient-centered contraception counseling to adolescents in the ED setting, and it can serve as a model for how to educate different providers to incorporate reproductive health education into the busy ED visit.

Comparing American Indian/Alaska Native Adolescent Daughters' and Their Mothers' Awareness, Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors Regarding Risk for Gestational Diabetes: Implications for Mother-Daughter Communication on Reproductive Health.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to describe, compare, and examine associations at baseline of reproductive health awareness, knowledge, health beliefs, communication and behaviors related to gestational diabetes (GDM) and GDM risk reduction in a vulnerable population of both American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) adolescent girls and their mothers. METHODS: Descriptive/comparative/correlational analyses examined multitribal baseline data on 149 mother-daughter (M-D) dyads (N = 298; daughter age = 12-24 years) enrolled in a longitudinal study to adapt and evaluate a culturally relevant diabetes preconception counseling (PC) program (Stopping-GDM). The associations between GDM risk reduction awareness, knowledge, health beliefs, and behaviors (eg, daughters' eating, physical activity, reproductive-health [RH] choices/planning, M-D communication, daughters' discussions on PC) were examined. Data collected online from 5 national sites. RESULTS: Many M-D lacked awareness/knowledge of GDM and risk reduction. Both M-D were unaware of the girl's risk for GDM. Mothers' knowledge and beliefs on GDM prevention/RH were significantly higher than daughters. Younger daughters had greater self-efficacy healthy living. Overall sample reported low to moderate scores for both M-D communication and daughters' GDM and RH risk-reduction behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge, communication, and behaviors to prevent GDM were low in AIAN M-D, especially daughters. More than daughters, mothers perceive greater risk of GDM for daughters. Early culturally responsive dyadic PC programs could help decrease risk of developing GDM. Implications for M-D communication is compelling.

Modeling the impact of a health coaching intervention to prevent teen pregnancy.

Teenage pregnancy is an important public health issue in the United States, presenting significant health and economic risks to adolescents and the society. Health coaching is a potentially effective intervention in preventing teen pregnancy. In 2017, the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia implemented a health coaching program among sexually active teenage girls, which improved their contraceptive continuation rates. However, the cost-effectiveness of the health coaching program is not clear. We developed a microsimulation model of teen pregnancy that can predict the number of teen pregnancies and related birth outcomes. Model parameters were estimated from the literature and the health coaching program. The teen pregnancy model was used to assess how the program could influence direct health care costs and pregnancy outcomes. Our model projected that the health coaching program could prevent 15 teen pregnancies per 1000 adolescents compared to no intervention. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) for the intervention was $309 per pregnancy prevented, which was less than the willingness-to-pay threshold of $4,206 per pregnancy. Thus, the health coaching intervention was cost-effective. Our study provides promising data on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a health coaching intervention to reduce the burden of teen pregnancies. Health practitioners should consider implementing the program for a longer term and at a larger scale.

The impact of contraceptive counseling in primary care on contraceptive use.

BACKGROUND: Whether contraceptive counseling improves contraceptive use is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between contraceptive counseling provided by primary care physicians and patients' contraceptive use. DESIGN/PARTICIPANTS: All women aged 18-50 who visited one of four primary care clinics between October 2008 and April 2010 were invited to complete surveys about their visit. Seven to 30 days post visit, participants completed a survey assessing pregnancy intentions, receipt of contraceptive counseling, and use of contraception at last sexual intercourse. Survey data were linked to medical record data regarding contraceptive prescriptions prior to and during the clinic visit. Women were classified as in need of contraceptive counseling if they were sexually active, were not pregnant or trying to get pregnant, and had no evidence of contraceptive use prior to their index clinic visit. KEY RESULTS: Fifty percent (n = 386) of women were in need of contraceptive counseling at the time of their visit. Those who received contraceptive counseling from a primary care provider were more likely to report use of hormonal contraception when they last had sex (unadjusted OR: 3.83, CI: 2.25-6.52), even after adjusting for age, race, education, income, marital status, pregnancy intentions, and prior pregnancy (adjusted OR: 2.68, CI: 1.48-4.87). Counseling regarding specific types of contraception was associated with an increased use of those methods. For example, counseling regarding hormonal contraceptives was associated with a greater likelihood of use of hormonal methods (adjusted OR: 4.78, CI: 2.51-9.12) and counseling regarding highly effective reversible methods was highly associated with use of those methods (adjusted OR: 18.45, CI: 4.88-69.84). These same relationships were observed for women with prior evidence of contraceptive use. CONCLUSIONS: Contraceptive counseling in primary care settings is associated with increased hormonal contraceptive use at last intercourse. Increasing provision of contraceptive counseling in primary care may reduce unintended pregnancy.

Understanding social capital and HIV risk in rural African American communities.

BACKGROUND: African Americans (AA) and rural communities often suffer disproportionately from poorer health. Theory-guided research examining how individual- and community-level factors influence health behaviors and contribute to disparities is needed. OBJECTIVE: To understand how a social network model that captures the interplay between individual and community factors might inform community-based interventions to reduce HIV risk in rural AA communities. DESIGN: Qualitative study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Eleven focus groups with 38 AA 16-24 year olds, 42 adults over age 25, and 13 formerly incarcerated individuals held in community settings in two rural, predominantly AA counties in North Carolina. Thirty-seven semi-structured interviews with multiethnic key informants. APPROACH: Semi-structured interviews and focus groups with open-ended questions assessed a) perceptions of multi-level HIV risk determinants from a social network model (individual, interpersonal, social, economic, political and structural) identified through literature review and b) community needs and assets affecting local HIV rates. Qualitative data was analyzed using directive content analysis guided by a social network model. RESULTS: We identified four themes regarding the interaction between individuals and their communities that mediate HIV risk: interpersonal processes, community structural environment, social disorder, and civic engagement. Communities were characterized as having a high degree of cohesiveness, tension, and HIV-related stigma. The community structural environment-characterized by neighborhood poverty, lack of skilled jobs, segregation, political disenfranchisement and institutional racism-was felt to reduce the availability and accessibility of resources to combat HIV. Adults noted an inability to combat social problems due to social disorder, which fuels HIV risk behaviors. Civic engagement as a means of identifying community concerns and developing solutions is limited by churches' reluctance to address HIV-related issues. CONCLUSION: To combat HIV-related stigma, physicians should follow recommendations for universal HIV testing. Besides asking about individual health behaviors, physicians should ask about the availability of support and local community resources. Physicians might consider tailoring their treatment recommendations based on available community resources. This strategy may potentially improve patient adherence and clinical outcomes.

Perceptions of prominent neighborhood individuals regarding neighborhood factors and intimate partner violence.

Research addressing the impact of neighborhood factors on intimate partner violence (IPV) often lacks discussion of how and why such factors impact IPV. In order to address this gap, 16 prominent neighborhood individuals (PNI) from 4 low-income urban neighborhoods were asked to share through in-depth interviews their insights and perceptions of IPV as an issue in their neighborhoods, and the relationship between social and structural neighborhood-level factors and IPV. PNIs most often associated IPV with only physical violence. Several did not feel IPV was a significant issue in their neighborhood, confirming a lack of awareness and underreporting of IPV. However, other PNIs were able to speak of the relationship between IPV and neighborhood factors, including lack of opportunities for employment, vacant housing, trash management, lack of community awareness, and social capacity to act to address IPV. Results provide unique insights regarding the mechanisms linking neighborhood factors to IPV outcomes. These results contribute to a deeper understanding of contextual influences upon IPV, the development of tailored quantitative research and to the design of local multi-level public health IPV intervention and prevention efforts.

Project GRACE: a staged approach to development of a community-academic partnership to address HIV in rural African American communities.

The HIV epidemic is a health crisis in rural African American communities in the Southeast United States; however, to date little attention has been paid to community-academic collaborations to address HIV in these communities. Interventions that use a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach to address individual, social, and physical environmental factors have great potential for improving community health. Project GRACE (Growing, Reaching, Advocating for Change and Empowerment) uses a CBPR approach to develop culturally sensitive, feasible, and sustainable interventions to prevent the spread of HIV in rural African American communities. This article describes a staged approach to community-academic partnership: initial mobilization, establishment of organizational structure, capacity building for action, and planning for action. Strategies for engaging rural community members at each stage are discussed; challenges faced and lessons learned are also described. Careful attention to partnership development has resulted in a collaborative approach that has mutually benefited both the academic and community partners.