Changes in developmental factors and HIV risk behaviors among early adolescents in Puerto Rico.
BACKGROUND
Teenagers are the fastest growing group of newly HIV-infected persons. Consequently, a support model for HIV risk reduction was designed and implemented for early adolescents in Puerto Rico.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this article is to assess changes in developmental factors and HIV risk behaviors among early adolescents after three years of follow-up of an intervention and a non-intervention group.


METHODS
This prospective cohort study followed 135 early adolescents who were enrolled in the ASUMA (A Supportive Model for HIV Risk Reduction in Early Adolescents) Project. The study was performed in two public and two private junior schools. Baseline and three follow-up self-administered questionnaires were given. We examined sociodemographic factors, HIV risk behavior and developmental factors.


RESULTS
48% were in the intervention group and 51.1% were controls. Most adolescents were aged 12 years; 47.4% were males; 75.6% reported not having risk behaviors and 24.4% reported having risk behaviors at anytime in their lifespan. A significant decrease in the HIV risk behaviors median was observed among the intervention group (P < .05), while a nonsignificant increase was found among adolescents in the control group. At the end of the implementation phase, positive improvement in the developmental factors were observed in the intervention group (P < .05).


CONCLUSIONS
Our study suggests that the ASUMA project curriculum had a positive effect on developmental factors and HIV risk behaviors, as proposed in our conceptual framework. Also, this study illustrates the importance of the creation of culturally appropriate instruments and interventions to reach the goal of HIV/AIDS reduction.
Retrovirus Research Center, Internal Medicine Department, Universidad Central del Caribe, Bayamón, Puerto Rico. diana.fernandez@uccaribe.edu
Diana M
DM
Fernández Santos
Wanda I
WI
Figueroa-Cosme
María de los A
Mde L
Gómez
Johanna
J
Maysonet-Cruz
Christine
C
Miranda-Díaz
Mario
M
Septúlveda-Santiago
Eddy
E
Ríos-Olivares
Robert F
RF
Hunter-Mellado
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011647:Puerto Rico / Q000453:epidemiology; D012309:Risk-Taking