Funding Source and Project Period: NIMH, 2009-2010

HIV Center Key Personnel:

Principal Investigator: Miguel Muñoz-Laboy, Dr.P.H.

Project Overview
(from abstract submitted to NIMH):

Latinos in the United States are disproportionally affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, which has led to AIDS being the fourth leading cause of death for Latinos. Among Latinos, formerly incarcerated Latino men (FILM) are a critical group in the spread of HIV/AIDS. Latino men are overrepresented in U.S. correctional facilities, and incarceration has been identified as a major risk factor for HIV. Despite the high level of vulnerability to HIV-infection, HIV-prevention interventions targeting the unique needs of FILM are scarce. The majority of HIV-prevention interventions have failed to consider the role of social-familial networks in the post-incarceration experiences of FILM. The lack of attention to contextual factors is worrisome, as research supports the importance of understanding cultural, familial and social network factors for reducing HIV-infection among disproportionately affected populations, including Latinos and formerly incarcerated men.

The overall goal of this project is to study the role of familial and social networks among FILM in order to develop the foundation for a network-based intervention to reduce HIV among FILM. To advance that broad goal, the project has following specific aims: 1.) To conduct sixty network-based, open-ended interviews in order to elicit: (a) perspectives about FILM'S reentry into community networks, (b) information on network leisure activities with special emphasis on marijuana and alcohol binge use followed by sexual behavior, and (c) collective expectancies regarding: collective risk behaviors and network members' role in supporting FILM's efforts to reduce concurrent HIV-related risk behaviors. 2.) On the basis of the above data collected, we are developing a linguistically and culturally appropriate measurement of network and individual HIV risk for FILM, and examining the relationships between network and behavioral determinants on FILM HIV risk behavior via the application of a cross-sectional survey with a sample of 200 FILM and 200 nominated network referents.3.) To examine the collective meanings attached to (and practices related to) alcohol and marijuana binge use and sexual risk behavior, in order to compare differences among the diverse networks of FILM with respect to the level of collective HIV risk as well as network-level protective factors. The is one of the first studies to investigate HIV risks among networks of formerly incarcerated men.

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