A snapshot of how latino heterosexual men promote sexual health within their social networks: process evaluation findings from an efficacious community-level intervention

AIDS Educ Prev. 2012 Dec;24(6):514-26. doi: 10.1521/aeap.2012.24.6.514.

Abstract

Hombres Manteniendo Bienestar y Relaciones Saludables (HoMBReS) was a community-level social network intervention designed to increase sexual health among Latino heterosexual men who were members of a multicounty soccer league. Process data were collected each month during 18 months of intervention implementation from each of 15 trained Latino male lay health advisors (known as Navegantes) to explore the activities that Navegantes conducted to increase condom and HIV testing among their social network members. The Navegantes reported conducting 2,364 activities, for a mean of 8.8 activities per Navegante per month. The most common activity was condom distribution. Most activities were conducted with men; about 2% were conducted with women. Among activities conducted with men, half were conducted with soccer teammates and half with nonteammates. Results suggest that Latino men's social networks can be leveraged to promote sexual health within the community. Innovative methods that reach large numbers of community members are needed given the lack of prevention resources for populations disproportionately impacted by HIV and STDs.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Community Participation*
  • Community-Based Participatory Research
  • Condoms / statistics & numerical data
  • Female
  • HIV Infections / ethnology
  • HIV Infections / prevention & control*
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
  • Health Promotion / methods*
  • Heterosexuality*
  • Hispanic or Latino / psychology*
  • Hispanic or Latino / statistics & numerical data
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Men's Health
  • North Carolina
  • Reproductive Health
  • Residence Characteristics
  • Sexually Transmitted Diseases / prevention & control*
  • Soccer
  • Social Support*