The Associations of Resilience and HIV Risk Behaviors Among Black Gay, Bisexual, Other Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) in the Deep South: The MARI Study.

Resilience is an understudied intrapersonal factor that may reduce HIV risk among men who have sex with men (MSM). Multivariable Poisson regression models were used to estimate the prevalence ratio (PR) of sexual risk behaviors, HIV prevalence, and history of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) with resilience scores in a population-based study among 364 black MSM in the Deep South. Participants with higher resilience scores had a lower prevalence of condomless anal sex with casual sexual partners in past 12 months (PR = 0.80, p value = 0.001) and during their last sexual encounter (PR = 0.81; p value = 0.009). Resilience was inversely associated with a lower prevalence of condomless anal sex with main sexual partners, participating in a sex party/orgy and having a STI in the past 12 months. Resilience may have a protective effect on HIV among black MSM, especially in the Deep South, and should be further explored in studies with prospective designs.

RESUMEN: La resistencia es un factor intrapersonal que ha sido poco estudiado que puede reducir el riesgo de VIH entre los hombres que tienen sex con hombres (HSH). Modelos de regresión multivariable de Posesión han sido utilizado para estimar el ratio de prevalencia (RP) de los comportamientos sexuales, la prevalencia de VIH, y la historia de infección de transmisión sexual (ITS) en comparación con los resultados de resistencia en un estudio basado en la población entre 364 HSH negros en los estados del sureste de los EEUU. Los participantes con mayor resistencia tuvieron una prevalencia menor de tener sexo anal sin un condón con una pareja sexual casual en los últimos 12 meses (PR = 0.80; p = 0.001) y en su último encuentro sexual (PR = 0.81; p = 0.009). La resistencia fue inversamente asociado con una prevalencia baja de sexo anal sin condón con una pareja sexual principal, participando en una orgía y si tiene un ITS en los últimos 12 meses. La resistencia puede que tenga un efecto protector de VIH con la población HSH negros, especialmente en los estados del sureste de los EEUU, y debe estar mejor investigado con investigaciones prospectivas.

Smoke-Free Multiunit Housing Policy: Caretakers' Perspectives on Economic and Personal Impacts.

OBJECTIVE: Multiunit housing (MUH) operators may be motivated to adopt smoke-free policies to achieve cost savings. MUH caretakers provide a unique perspective for understanding the implications of smoke-free policies because of their role in property maintenance. We examine MUH caretakers' perceptions regarding the economic and personal impact of smoke-free policies at their properties. METHODS: We conducted and analyzed qualitative interviews with 20 multiunit housing caretakers from two large property management companies in the southeastern United States that had implemented smoke-free policies. RESULTS: For non-smoking units, caretakers reported shortened turnover times, in addition to reduction in the need for turnover supplies and capital replacements. Caretakers reported an improvement in their work environments due to reduced workload and exposure to secondhand and thirdhand smoke after implementation of smoke-free policies. CONCLUSION: The potential for cost savings exists for MUH operators who enact smoke-free policies because of decreased labor, supplies, and capital costs. Smoke-free policies may also improve the work environment of caretakers and other frontline MUH employees. These are important findings for MUH companies seeking to lower their operation costs and improve their employees' working conditions, as well as for smoke-free advocates seeking to promote policy change.