The efficacy of a culturally-sensitive intervention to reduce HIV/AIDS-risk behaviors in Latina women was demonstrated in the current study.

Socio-cultural factors and HIV-related misinformation contribute to the increasing number of Chilean women living with HIV. In spite of this, and to date, few culturally specific prevention activities have been developed for this population. The goal of the present study was to elicit the perspectives of low-income Chilean women regarding HIV and relevant socio-cultural factors, as a forerunner to the development of a culturally appropriate intervention. As part of a mixed-methods study, fifty low-income Chilean women participated in a survey and twenty were selected to participate in prevention, in-depth interviews. Results show evidence of widespread misinformation and misconceptions related to HIV/AIDS. Machismo and marianismo offer major barriers to prevention programme development. Future HIV prevention should stress partner communication, empowerment and improving the education of women vulnerable to HIV.

Culturally-specific HIV risk reduction interventions for Hispanic women are needed. SEPA (Salud/Health, Educación/Education, Promoción/Promotion, y/ and Autocuidado/Self-care) is a culturally-specific and theoretically-based group intervention for Hispanic women. The SEPA intervention consists of five sessions covering STI and HIV prevention; communication, condom negotiation and condom use; and violence prevention. A randomized trial tested the efficacy of SEPA with 548 adult U.S. Hispanic women (SEPA n = 274; delayed intervention control n = 274) who completed structured interviews at baseline and 3, 6, and 12 months post-baseline. Intent-to-treat analyses indicated that SEPA decreased positive urine samples for Chlamydia; improved condom use, decreased substance abuse and IPV; improved communication with partner, improved HIV-related knowledge, improved intentions to use condoms, decreased barriers to condom use, and increased community prevention attitudes. Culturally-specific interventions have promise for preventing HIV for Hispanic women in the U.S. The effectiveness of SEPA should be tested in a translational community trial.

The impact of a professionally-facilitated peer group intervention for HIV prevention among 400 low income Chilean women was examined using a quasi-experimental design. At three months post-intervention, the intervention group had higher HIV-related knowledge, more positive attitudes towards people living with HIV, fewer perceived condom use barriers, greater self-efficacy, higher HIV reduction behavioral intentions, more communication with partners about safer sex, and decreased depression symptoms. However, they did not have increased condom use or self-esteem. More attention to gender barriers is needed. This intervention offers a model for reducing HIV for women in Chile and other Latin American countries.

El propósito de este estudio fue identificar las competencias en investigación correspondientes a licenciatura, magíster y doctorado en enfermería. Método: Diseño descriptivo y transversal, se aplicó una encuesta enviada por correo a 200 enfermeras obtuviéndose un 26% de respuestas. El instrumento contiene 33 ítemes con competencias en investigación en las áreas de conocimiento, análisis y aplicación. Frente a cada ítem se presenta una escala de cuatro tramos, que indica el grado en que la competencia tiene que estar presente según nivel de formación. La validez fue realizada por expertas en el tema. La confiabilidad fue calculada con test-retest utilizando porcentaje de acuerdo. Resultados: El mayor porcentaje de respuestas se obtuvo de Chile, seguido de México. El 82% de las respuestas provino de profesoras de investigación o guías de tesis. Para el nivel de licenciatura se considera esencial el conocimiento de las etapas del proceso investigativo y la realización de búsqueda bibliográfica. Se encontraron discrepancias entre los niveles con relación a los ítemes de conocimiento y tendencia de la investigación, organismos que financian investigaciones, métodos de análisis de datos, uso de programas estadísticos computacionales, aplicación y enseñanza de la investigación, preparación de propuestas y publicaciones. El aspecto ético se señala como esencial en todos los niveles. Conclusiones: Las encuestadas perciben diferencias en las competencias para los diferentes niveles de preparación académica. Los resultados del estudio orientan el diseño de programas de formación en investigación en enfermería. Palabras claves:Competencias, investigación, educación, enfermería. ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to identify the research competencies needed by nurses with bachelor, master and doctoral education. Method: Cross-sectional descriptive design; a survey was sent by email to 200 nurses with a 26% response rate. The instrument contains 33 items listing research competencies in the areas of knowledge, analysis, and application. Each item is rated on a scale with four levels that indicate the extent to which the respondents believe that the competency is needed by each level of formation. Content validity was assessed by experts in the subject area. Test-retest reliability was calculated using the percentage agreement method. Results: The greatest percentage of responses was obtained from Chile, followed by Mexico. A total of 82% of the responses were provided by nurses who were research professors or who guided theses. Competencies considered essential for nurses prepared at the bachelor level included knowledge of the steps of the research process and ability to conduct literature reviews. The main differences identified among the different levels of education were related to items about knowledge of the evolution and trends in nursing research, organizations that fund # Apoyo financiero: a) Comisión Fulbright a Dra. Lynda Harrison como profesora visitante en la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, septiemb...

Background Evidence from the literature suggests that substance abuse, violence, HIV risk, depressive symptoms, and underlying socioeconomic conditions are tied intrinsically to health disparities among Latinas. Although these health and social conditions appear to comprise a syndemic, an underlying phenomenon disproportionately accounting for the burden of disease among marginalized groups, these hypothesized relationships have not been formally tested. Objectives The aim of this study was to assess (a) if substance abuse, violence, HIV risk, and depressive symptoms comprised a syndemic and (b) if this syndemic was related to socioeconomic disadvantage among Latinas. Methods Baseline assessment data from a randomized controlled community trial testing the efficacy of an HIV risk reduction program for adult Latinas (n = 548) were used to measure demographic variables, substance abuse, violence, risk for HIV, and depressive symptoms. Structural equation modeling was used to test a single underlying syndemic factor model and any relation to socioeconomic disadvantage. Results The results of this study support the idea that HIV risk, substance abuse, violence, and depressive symptoms comprise a syndemic, χ2(27) = 53.26, p < .01 (relative χ2 = 1.97, comparative fit index = .91, root mean square error of approximation = .04). In addition, in limited accord with theory, this factor was related to 2 measures of socioeconomic disadvantage, percentage of years in the United States (b = 7.55, SE = 1.53, p < .001) and education (b = −1.98, SE = .87, p < .05). Discussion The results of this study could be used to guide public health programs and policies targeting behavioral health disparity conditions among Latinos and other vulnerable populations. Further study of the influence of gender-role expectations and community-level socioeconomic indicators may provide additional insight into this syndemic.

Self-efficacy is a critical element for HIV prevention, however little is known about the predictors of self-efficacy for HIV prevention among Hispanic women. In this cross-sectional study we assessed if age, living with a partner, employment status, HIV knowledge, self-esteem, and intimate partner violence (IPV) predicted self-efficacy for HIV prevention in 548 Hispanic women in South Florida who participated in a randomized controlled trial (SEPA). The majority of Hispanic women reported high levels of self-efficacy for HIV prevention. Women who were older, living with a partner, with less HIV knowledge, and a history of IPV reported significantly lower levels of self-efficacy for HIV prevention. HIV knowledge was the most important predictor of self-efficacy for HIV prevention. Employment was not a significant predictor of self-efficacy for HIV prevention. Predictors identified in the study can be used to identify high-risk Hispanic women who are in need of HIV prevention interventions.

BACKGROUND Depression is the number one cause of disability in the world. Hispanic women are at a higher risk for depression than Caucasian and African American women. This is in part due to multiple social determinants of health that affect the individual, family, aggregates, and community. OBJECTIVE To investigate the social determinants of depression among Hispanic women in South Florida. DESIGN This is a secondary cross-sectional data analysis. A total of 280 Hispanic women from South Florida between 18 and 50 years of age were analyzed. RESULTS Depression is prevalent among Hispanic women in South Florida (37.5%). Education, health status, and living with partner were significant predictors of depression in the sample. CONCLUSION Development of a culturally tailored risk assessment tool that highlights the social determinants of depression in Hispanic women is essential, as it could be used as a standard practice in primary care and other appropriate settings.