Milken Institute School of Public Health Poster Presentations (Marvin Center & Video)
An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Black Women's Health Imperative (BWHI) #LetsTalkAboutPrep campaign among Black women living in Washington D.C.
Poster Number
100
Document Type
Poster
Status
Graduate Student - Masters
Abstract Category
Prevention and Community Health
Keywords
evaluation; media; PrEP; HIV; prevention
Publication Date
4-2017
Abstract
Background: Black women in the District of Columbia (D.C.) are 50% of the female population, but account for 92% of women living with HIV. Pre-Exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) can reduce the risk of HIV infection by up to 92% when taken consistently by people who are at high risk of HIV infection but research suggests that very few Black women are aware of PrEP as a prevention option. This study tests the effectiveness of a culturally sensitive public health communication campaign to promote PrEP awareness among Black women in D.C., as part of the Black Women's Health Imperative (BWHI) #LetsTalkAboutPrep media campaign.
Methods: One hundred ninety two sexually active, HIV negative Black women ages 20-69 who live in D.C. who reported at least one HIV risk factor were surveyed about their knowledge of PrEP, uptake behaviors and sociodemographic characteristics. Participants also reported exposure to the #LetsTalkAboutPrep campaign (5 ads). We tested the relationship between exposure to the campaign and intention to use PrEP, as well as other outcomes related to uptake (i.e. discussion of PrEP with friends/physician). The independent variable was the sum of 5 dichotomous campaign exposure variables. The dependent variable was the sum of 5 dichotomous PrEP uptake behaviors, including considering to use PrEP and seeking more information about PrEP. Multivariate linear and logistic regressions were performed to assess the association between exposure to campaign ads (range 0-5) and PrEP uptake behaviors (range 0-5), controlling for sociodemographic variables. We hypothesized that there would be a dose response in which exposure to more ads is associated with increased intention to use PrEP.
Preliminary results: The independent and dependent variables were significantly correlated at r = 0.26. The multivariate linear regression shows that with each additional campaign ad exposure, there is a B = 0.51 unit increase in the number of prep uptake behaviors, when controlling for education, marital status, income and age (p = 0.05). This model explains 22% of the variance in the outcome variable.
Conclusion: There is evidence that exposure to the #LetsTalkAboutPrep campaign is associated with Black women's intention to use PrEP behaviors. Further analysis is required to build on this research to create similar culturally sensitive communication campaigns to increase Black women's awareness, knowledge and use of PrEP nationwide.
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Open Access
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An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Black Women's Health Imperative (BWHI) #LetsTalkAboutPrep campaign among Black women living in Washington D.C.
Background: Black women in the District of Columbia (D.C.) are 50% of the female population, but account for 92% of women living with HIV. Pre-Exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) can reduce the risk of HIV infection by up to 92% when taken consistently by people who are at high risk of HIV infection but research suggests that very few Black women are aware of PrEP as a prevention option. This study tests the effectiveness of a culturally sensitive public health communication campaign to promote PrEP awareness among Black women in D.C., as part of the Black Women's Health Imperative (BWHI) #LetsTalkAboutPrep media campaign.
Methods: One hundred ninety two sexually active, HIV negative Black women ages 20-69 who live in D.C. who reported at least one HIV risk factor were surveyed about their knowledge of PrEP, uptake behaviors and sociodemographic characteristics. Participants also reported exposure to the #LetsTalkAboutPrep campaign (5 ads). We tested the relationship between exposure to the campaign and intention to use PrEP, as well as other outcomes related to uptake (i.e. discussion of PrEP with friends/physician). The independent variable was the sum of 5 dichotomous campaign exposure variables. The dependent variable was the sum of 5 dichotomous PrEP uptake behaviors, including considering to use PrEP and seeking more information about PrEP. Multivariate linear and logistic regressions were performed to assess the association between exposure to campaign ads (range 0-5) and PrEP uptake behaviors (range 0-5), controlling for sociodemographic variables. We hypothesized that there would be a dose response in which exposure to more ads is associated with increased intention to use PrEP.
Preliminary results: The independent and dependent variables were significantly correlated at r = 0.26. The multivariate linear regression shows that with each additional campaign ad exposure, there is a B = 0.51 unit increase in the number of prep uptake behaviors, when controlling for education, marital status, income and age (p = 0.05). This model explains 22% of the variance in the outcome variable.
Conclusion: There is evidence that exposure to the #LetsTalkAboutPrep campaign is associated with Black women's intention to use PrEP behaviors. Further analysis is required to build on this research to create similar culturally sensitive communication campaigns to increase Black women's awareness, knowledge and use of PrEP nationwide.
Comments
Poster to be presented at GW Annual Research Days 2017.
This poster is the winner of the Community Engagement Award.