A sociological investigation of factors related to HIV risk behaviors among Puerto Rican injection drug users in New York and Puerto Rico.
Item
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Title
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A sociological investigation of factors related to HIV risk behaviors among Puerto Rican injection drug users in New York and Puerto Rico.
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Identifier
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AAI9986299
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identifier
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9986299
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Creator
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Andia, Jonny Freddy.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Charles Winick
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Date
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2000
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Sociology, Public and Social Welfare | Sociology, Ethnic and Racial Studies | Health Sciences, Public Health | Sociology, Social Structure and Development
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Abstract
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Objectives. This study assesses whether HIV risk behaviors can be understood using a model (Winick, 1980) that highlights (1) access to drugs, (2) drug related peer norms and (3) role strain (the felt difficulty in meeting the obligations of a role) as predictors of HIV risk behaviors.;Methods. Data were collected on 561 current Puerto Rican injection drug users in NY and 313 in PR. Dependent variables included: Syringe sharing (any direction), and any sharing of other paraphernalia (cotton, cooker and rinse water). Hierarchical multiple logistic regression was conducted to assess the influence of peer norms (regarding injection risk behaviors), and role strain indicators (e.g., drug cravings, pooling money to buy drugs [an indicator of economic strain], and illness condition). Sociodemographic and other addiction severity indicators (site, gender, income, education, years of injection, frequency of injection, ever in drug treatment and HIV status) were used as covariates.;Results. Peer norms and role strain were significant predictors for all dependent variables, after controlling for other covariates. For example, norms and pooling money were related to syringe sharing (odds = 1.07; 95% C.I:1.02--1.12 and odds = 3.53; 95%C.I:2.17--5.75 respectively) and norms, pooling money and illness condition were related to sharing other paraphernalia (odds = 1.06; 95% C.I:1.02--1.11; odds = 7.96; 95% C.I:5.43--11.67 and odds = 1.60; 95% C.I:1.04--2.46). All were significant at p < .05 or better. Further analysis by site, shows that for New York norms and role strain are significant predictors for HIV risk behaviors, however, for Puerto Rico only role strain indicators are significant predictors for risk behaviors. Site was also significantly related to risk behaviors for both dependent variables.;Conclusions. This study shows the importance of the proposed HIV role strain model in understanding HIV risk behaviors among injection drug users. It also shows the importance of site as an influencing factor for risk behaviors. This model does not intend to be the only causal or explanatory condition available. Further research should focus on the utility of other role strain indicators, as well as contextual variables in addition to peer norms as predictors of HIV risk behaviors. This study shows the importance of social oriented paradigms to understand the HIV epidemic.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
