title: Developing Measures of Pathways that May Link Macro Social/Structural Changes with HIV Epidemiology.
abstract: Macro-social/structural events ("big events") such as wars, disasters, and large-scale changes in policies can affect HIV transmission by making risk behaviors more or less likely or by changing risk contexts. The purpose of this study was to develop new measures to investigate hypothesized pathways between macro-social changes and HIV transmission. We developed novel scales and indexes focused on topics including norms about sex and drug injecting under different conditions, involvement with social groups, helping others, and experiencing denial of dignity. We collected data from 300 people who inject drugs in New York City during 2012-2013. Most investigational measures showed evidence of validity (Pearson correlations with criterion variables range = 0.12-0.71) and reliability (Cronbach's alpha range = 0.62-0.91). Research is needed in different contexts to evaluate whether these measures can be used to better understand HIV outbreaks and help improve social/structural HIV prevention intervention programs.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Infectious Disease Research, National Development and Research Institutes, Inc., 71 West 23rd St., 4th floor, New York, NY, 10010, USA. pouget@ndri.org.
authors.forename: Enrique R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Pouget
authors.affiliation: Institute for Infectious Disease Research, National Development and Research Institutes, Inc., 71 West 23rd St., 4th floor, New York, NY, 10010, USA.
authors.forename: Milagros
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sandoval
authors.affiliation: Institute for Infectious Disease Research, National Development and Research Institutes, Inc., 71 West 23rd St., 4th floor, New York, NY, 10010, USA.
authors.forename: Georgios K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Nikolopoulos
authors.affiliation: Institute for Infectious Disease Research, National Development and Research Institutes, Inc., 71 West 23rd St., 4th floor, New York, NY, 10010, USA.
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mateu-Gelabert
authors.affiliation: Intercambios Civil Association, Corrientes 2548, Piso 2 Oficina D, Buenos Aires, 1046, Argentina.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.affiliation: Alliance for Public Health, 5 Dymytrova Street, Building 10-A, Kiev, 03680, Ukraine.
authors.forename: Pavlo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Smyrnov
authors.affiliation: Institute for Infectious Disease Research, National Development and Research Institutes, Inc., 71 West 23rd St., 4th floor, New York, NY, 10010, USA.
authors.forename: Yolanda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: Institute for Infectious Disease Research, National Development and Research Institutes, Inc., 71 West 23rd St., 4th floor, New York, NY, 10010, USA.
authors.forename: Samuel R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Friedman
mesh_terms: D055030:Drug Users; D058872:Epidemics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009519:New York City; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012922:Social Change; D012940:Social Problems; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000453:epidemiology*; D035862:Vulnerable Populations
keywords: Big events; HIV/AIDS; Measures development; Structural interventions