Engaging community businesses in human immunodeficiency virus prevention: a feasibility study.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the feasibility of engaging community businesses in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention.


METHODS
Randomly selected business owners/managers were asked to display discreetly wrapped condoms and brochures, both of which were provided free-of-charge for 3 months. Assessments were conducted at baseline, mid-program, and post-program. Customer feedback was obtained through an online survey.


METHODS
Participants were selected from a San Diego, California neighborhood with a high rate of acquired immune deficiency syndrome.


METHODS
Fifty-one business owners/managers who represented 10 retail categories, and 52 customers.


METHODS
Participation rates, descriptive characteristics, number of condoms and brochures distributed, customer feedback, business owners'/managers' program satisfaction, and business owners'/managers' willingness to provide future support for HIV prevention were measured.


METHODS
Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney U, Fisher's exact, and McNemar's tests were used to analyze data.


RESULTS
The 20 business owners/managers (39%) who agreed to distribute condoms and brochures reported fewer years in business and more employees than those who agreed only to distribute brochures (20%) or who refused to participate (41%; p < .05). Bars were the easiest of ten retail categories to recruit. Businesses with more employees and customers distributed more condoms and brochures (p < .05). More than 90% of customers supported distributing condoms and brochures in businesses, and 96% of business owners/managers described their program experience as positive.


CONCLUSIONS
Businesses are willing to distribute condoms and brochures to prevent HIV. Policies to increase business participation in HIV prevention should be developed and tested.
Rovniak
Liza S
LS
Center for Behavioral Epidemiology and Community Health, Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA. lrovniak@hmc.psu.edu
Hovell
Melbourne F
MF
Hofstetter
C Richard
CR
Blumberg
Elaine J
EJ
Sipan
Carol L
CL
Batista
Marcia F
MF
Martinez-Donate
Ana P
AP
Mulvihill
Mary M
MM
Ayala
Guadalupe X
GX
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003132:Commerce; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004777:Environment; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006678:HIV; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012106:Research; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D021841:Safe Sex; D012931:Social Environment; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
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