HIV RISK BEHAVIOR AND VIOLENCE AMONG CRACK USERS

University Of Kentucky, Lexington KY

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Abstract

DESCRIPTION: (Applicant's Abstract) The overall aim of this study is to examine the nature, extent, and co-occurrence of HIV risk behavior, violence, and crack use by extending data collection from crack users (n=300) previously enrolled in a National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) funded AIDS Cooperative Agreement study in Kentucky. Crack users are a critical group to focus on given their risk for both violence and HIV risk behavior. The specific aims of this study are: (1) To examine the onset, escalation, and cessation of crack use and the nature, extent, and pattern of occurring violence, violent victimization, and HIV risk behavior among crack users; (2) To examine the association of antisocial personality disorder, impulsivity, anxiety, depression, anger, hostility, serotonin, and testosterone with violence and HIV risk behavior among crack users; (3) To examine the importance of violent victimization, post traumatic stress disorder, and depression to HIV risk behavior among crack users; (4) To examine the impact of stress/strain and the interaction of negative affect (e.g., anger, depression, and anxiety) and stress-coping styles on violence and HIV risk behavior as outcome variables; and, (5) To continue data collection on patterns of crack use, treatment, criminal justice experience, and HIV risk behavior among crack users previously enrolled in the NIDA AIDS Cooperative Agreement study in Kentucky for 300 crack users. The primary reason for using a subsample of crack users previously enrolled in the NIDA AIDS cooperative agreement is that the subsample of crack users can be characterized on patterns and history of crack use and HIV risk behavior using a standardized and validated interview protocol, the Risk Behavioral Assessment (RBA), which is critical for this study. This study proposes to use face-to-face interviews to construct life history calendars for violence, violent victimization, crack/other drug use, and HIV risk behavior. Measures are also proposed to collect information about individual difference and biochemical variables among male (n=150) and female (n=150) crack users. The protocol is estimated to last approximately three hours. Life events analysis, structural equation modeling, and regression are proposed as the major analytic techniques.