Brothers Leading Healthy Lives: Outcomes from the pilot testing of a culturally and contextually congruent HIV prevention intervention for black male college students.

We used a treatment group-only design to pilot test a newly developed intervention to increase condom use among higher risk heterosexually active African American/black male college students. A community-based participatory research partnership developed the intervention called Brothers Leading Healthy Lives. Following an initial screening of 245 men, 81 eligible men were contacted for participation. Of the 64 men who agreed to participate, 57 completed the intervention and 54 of those completed the 3-month follow-up assessment, for a 93% completion rate. Results show significant changes between the baseline and 3-month follow-up assessments in behavioral outcomes, including reductions in unprotected sex, increase in protection during last intercourse, and fewer condom use errors. Most potential mediators (knowledge, attitudes, intentions, and condom use self-efficacy) also changed significantly in the expected direction. These demonstrated changes provide good evidence that men exposed to this intervention will see changes that reduce their risk for HIV.

Age-based correlates of substance misuse among convicted felons in Georgia.

OBJECTIVE: This study sought to identify variables that independently correlate with age and substance use among a sample of 187 convicted felons in Georgia. RESULTS: Results of regression analysis indicated that younger inmates were 2 times more likely than older inmates to report the occurrence of alcohol use (RR 2.07; 95% CI .37, 11.6) and three times more likely than older inmates to report some history of marijuana use (RR 3.07; 95% CI 1.52, 6.11). In addition, younger inmates were half as likely or less to report using sedatives (RR .53, 95% CI .22, 1.29), tranquilizers (RR .49, 95% CI .22, 1.29), crack or cocaine (RR .33, 95% CI .18, .62), heroin (RR .48, 95% CI .16, 1.25), and to having ever received treatment for a drug problem (RR .46, 95% CI .23, .90). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, age-based factors correlate with participant's history of substance use. Ascertainment of these variables among inmate populations has the potential to improve treatment decisions both during and after incarceration.