title: A strategy for improving community effectiveness of HIV/AIDS intervention design: the Community Readiness Model in the Caribbean.
abstract: The Community Readiness Model (CR) offers a solution to the development of prevention strategies at the community level that makes use of community collaborations and community capacity. CR was administered in the U.S. Virgin Islands on St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John. All three islands scored lowest on dimensions of community climate and highest on knowledge of efforts to fight HIV/AIDS. The findings suggest that initial intervention efforts should improve the community climate of HIV/AIDS denial and stigma prior to introducing interventions that address HIV/AIDS risk behaviors. Community collaborators identify the interplay of social, structural, and political-economic factors for effective prevention.
authors.affiliation: Robert Stempel School of Public Health, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33199, USA. mccoyh@fiu.edu
authors.forename: H Virginia
authors.initials: HV
authors.lastname: McCoy
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Malow
authors.forename: Ruth W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thurland
authors.forename: Rhonda
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017691:Caribbean Region / Q000453:epidemiology; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003625:Data Collection / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D017146:Models, Organizational; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016730:Program Development / Q000379:methods; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012309:Risk-Taking; D014767:United States Virgin Islands / Q000453:epidemiology