HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: AJPH.2007.113415v1 98/5/853    most recent Submit a response View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Latka, M. H. Articles by Strathdee, S. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Latka, M. H. Articles by Strathdee, S. A. Related Collections Health Policy HIV/AIDS Hepatitis Hispanics/Latinos Drugs Urban Health

Mary H. Latka, PhD, Holly Hagan, PhD, Farzana Kapadia, PhD, Elizabeth T. Golub, PhD, Sebastian Bonner, PhD, Jennifer V. Campbell, MSPH, Micaela H. Coady, MPH, Richard S. Garfein, PhD, Minya Pu, MS, Dave L. Thomas, MD, Thelma K. Thiel and Steffanie A. Strathdee, PhD

At the time of the study, Mary H. Latka, Farzana Kapadia, Sebastian Bonner, and Micaela H. Coady were with the Center for Urban Epidemiologic Studies, New York Academy of Medicine, New York, NY. Holly Hagan is with the National Development and Research Institute, Center for Drug Use and HIV Research, New York, NY. Elizabeth T. Golub is with the Department of Epidemiology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md. At the time of the study, Jennifer V. Campbell was with the HIV/AIDS Prevention Program, Seattle–King County Department of Public Health, Seattle, Wash. Richard S. Garfein, Minya Pu, and Steffanie A. Strathdee are with the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of California at San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego. Dave L. Thomas is with the School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore. Thelma K. Thiel is with the Hepatitis Foundation International, Silver Spring, Md.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Steffanie A. Strathdee, PhD, Division of International Health and Cross Cultural Medicine, University of California School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Dr, Mailstop 0622, La Jolla, CA 92093 (e-mail: sstrathdee{at}ucsd.edu).

Objectives. We evaluated the efficacy of a peer-mentoring behavioral intervention designed to reduce risky distributive injection practices (e.g., syringe lending, unsafe drug preparation) among injection drug users with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.

Methods. A randomized trial with a time-equivalent attention-control group was conducted among 418 HCV-positive injection drug users aged 18 to 35 years in 3 US cities. Participants reported their injection-related behaviors at baseline and at 3- and 6-month follow-ups.

Results. Compared with the control group, intervention-group participants were less likely to report distributive risk behaviors at 3 months (odds ratio [OR]=0.46; 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.27, 0.79) and 6 months (OR=0.51; 95% CI=0.31, 0.83), a 26% relative risk reduction, but were no more likely to cite their HCV-positive status as a reason for refraining from syringe lending. Effects were strongest among intervention-group participants who had known their HCV-positive status for at least 6 months. Peer mentoring and self-efficacy were significantly increased among intervention-group participants, and intervention effects were mediated through improved self-efficacy.

Conclusions. This behavioral intervention reduced unsafe injection practices that may propagate HCV among injection drug users.