141st APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

Home Events & Meetings Annual Meeting Schedule & Program

Recorded Annual Meeting Presentations (RAMP) are now available for purchase.
Only $90 for presenters, $140 for registered attendees and $200 for non-attendees.

Online Program

290326
Socioeconomic status differences in PrEP acceptability and comprehension of PrEP messaging: Implications for policies and programs


Wednesday, November 6, 2013 : 1:00 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.

Sarit A. Golub, PhD, MPH, Department of Psychology, Hunter College of the City University of New York (CUNY), New York, NY
Kristi Gamarel, PhD, Department of Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI
Anthony Surace, BA, Department of Psychology, Hunter College of the City University of New York (CUNY), New York, NY
Kailip Boonrai, BS, Department of Psychology, Hunter College of the City University of New York (CUNY), New York, NY
Inna Saboshchuk, BA, Basic and Applied Social Psychology, Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY
Corina Lelutiu-Weinberger, PhD, Department of Psychology, Hunter College of the City University of New York (CUNY), New York, NY
     
Background: Although PrEP is a promising new prevention strategy, studies indicate wide ranges of acceptability and attitudes. Knowledge about PrEP is low, and little is known about the most effective means of communicating PrEP information to diverse populations. This NIH-funded study examined the impact of different PrEP messaging factors on acceptability and comprehension.

Methods: 270 MSM and transgender women (34% Black, 25% Latino) were presented with educational information about PrEP and completed computerized surveys. Educational information varied by specificity (i.e., verbatim versus gist presentation of PrEP efficacy data) and delivery method (i.e., via health educator or computer). Measures included willingness to take PrEP and comprehension of message components (e.g., correct use, potential side effects).

Results: PrEP acceptability was higher for those with less education and lower income (49% versus 36%, p < .05); however, low SES participants had a harder time understanding PrEP messaging. Only 60% of low SES participants answered all comprehension questions correctly, compared to over 80% of high SES participants (p < .001). Strongest effects were observed for questions about partial efficacy and proper use. For low SES participants, comprehension was impacted by message delivery, such that 74% of those who received information from a health educator got all comprehension questions correct, compared to only 48% of those who received the message via computer (p < .01). For those with low education, comprehension was also impacted by specificity (p < .05).

Conclusion: PrEP messaging must be tailored to insure comprehension of critical information, especially by vulnerable populations.

Learning Areas:

Provision of health care to the public
Public health or related public policy
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Identify socioeconomic status differences in PrEP acceptability and comprehension, and examine differences by PrEP messaging factors. Discuss optimal PrEP messaging strategies to ensure comprehension among diverse populations.

Keyword(s): Primary Prevention, HIV/AIDS

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the principal investigator of this NIH-funded project and conceptualized the analyses.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 5173.0: PrEP and HIV prevention