Faith-based HIV prevention and counseling programs: Findings from the Cincinnati census of religious congregations

Magdalena Szaflarski, P. Neal Ritchey, C. Jeffrey Jacobson, Rhys H. Williams, Amy Baumann Grau, Karthikeyan Meganathan, Christopher G. Ellison, Joel Tsevat

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

10 Scopus citations

Abstract

Congregations are well positioned to address HIV in their communities, but their response to HIV has been mixed. An emerging literature describes HIV programming in urban, predominantly black congregations, but population-based data remain limited. This study examined the levels of HIV prevention and counseling programs and associated factors (e.g., religious, organizational) by using data from a phone census of congregations in the Greater Cincinnati area (N = 447). Over 10 % of congregations (36 % of Black Protestant and 5-18 % of other types of congregations) offered HIV education/prevention alone or in combination with counseling or with counseling and testing. Path analysis results showed notable significant (p < 0.05) total effects of theology-polity on HIV prevention/counseling programs, but these effects were fully mediated by other factors, including other community work and racial composition. The levels of HIV programming in this study were high by national standards, but further outreach is needed in high-risk African American communities.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1839-1854
Number of pages16
JournalAIDS and Behavior
Volume17
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2013
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Congregations
  • Counseling
  • HIV
  • Prevention
  • Religion

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Social Psychology

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