Even if you build it, we may not come: correlates of non-attendance at a sexual risk reduction workshop for STD clinic patients.
Sexual risk reduction interventions have been shown to reduce sexual risk behavior; however, attendance at these interventions is sometimes disappointingly low. To improve recruitment efforts, we investigated whether patient characteristics were associated with non-attendance at a single-session, sexual risk reduction intervention. Patients from an STD clinic (N = 990; 48% female; 64% African American) who were eligible and who agreed to participate in a randomized, clinical trial were invited to a 4-h, sexual risk reduction workshop. Fifty-six percent of those who were invited attended the workshop. Those who did not attend were more likely to be younger, male, Caucasian, and employed. Attendance did not differ as a function of sexual behavior or infection status. These findings identify the population sub-groups who are likely to require special effort to attract to a workshop. We encourage more effective marketing and recruitment approaches for sexual risk reduction programs.
Senn
Theresa E
TE
Center for Health and Behavior, Syracuse University, 430 Huntington Hall, Syracuse, NY 13244-2340, USA.
Carey
Michael P
MP
Vanable
Peter A
PA
Coury-Doniger
Patricia
P
Urban
Marguerite
M
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D044465:White People