Predictors of participation in an HIV risk reduction intervention for socially deprived Latino women: a cross sectional cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about predictors of participation and attrition in HIV prevention programs for socially deprived Latino women.
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine factors that predict program participation and attrition among Latino women in a community-based, culturally specific HIV risk reduction intervention.
DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional comparison of baseline data drawn from a randomized HIV risk reduction trial. SETTINGS: Information was drawn from study subjects residing in a predominately Latino low-income community in Chicago. PARTICIPANTS: Among 404 study subjects in the intervention group, 214 of Latino women who had attended at least 5 of 6 intervention sessions were considered participants. One hundred and twelve women who never attended and 29 of women who attended fewer than 3 sessions were considered dropouts.
METHODS: The baseline data of program participants were compared to those of dropouts. The influence of the following factors on program participation was examined: sociodemographic characteristics, self-esteem, HIV knowledge, intimate partner violence, depression, and communication with partner.
RESULTS: Logistic regression analysis showed that Mexican women were more likely to participate in the intervention program than Puerto Rican women (odds ratio (OR)=1.88, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.64, 4.23). Other significant predictors of program participation included: being older (OR=1.08, 95% CI=1.03, 1.14), unemployed (OR=0.46, 95% CI=0.25, 0.83), having higher risk reduction behavior intentions score (OR=1.16, 95% CI=1.06, 1.26), and lower level of depressive symptoms (OR=0.97, 95% CI=0.95, 0.99).
CONCLUSIONS: The recruitment and retention strategies should be developed by considering those important predictors of intervention participation to prevent Latino women from dropping out of the HIV prevention program.