Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health

Programmatic interventions that expose students from underrepresented backgrounds to biomedical research increases enrollment and persistence in STEM college degrees and have the potential to strengthen the research workforce. Here, we report pre- and post-participation survey data from 706 students (92% in high school) identifying from underrepresented groups in science. Most (76%) did not have prior research exposure or direct connection to biomedical research. They participated at one of eight US internship sites that collaborated to provide a common training curriculum (hands-on research, supportive mentoring, enrichment activities, and student stipends), with unique research experiences. Students reported a high satisfaction with programming (95%) and gains in each of the 14 scientific skills assessed. The most significant gains occurred in students’ attitudes towards their ability to analyze data and understand the research process. Importantly, 78% of the students reported the program positively influenced their interest in future research. These findings provide further support that engagement of underrepresented students in research during formative high school years is an effective intervention. The collaborative research training model allowed participating sites to leverage their own local expertise while engaging in adaptive programming that suited both the institution and the needs of its area high school students.

BackgroundApproximately every 37 seconds, someone in the United States dies of cardiovascular disease (CVD). It has emerged as an important contributor to morbidity among persons with HIV. Black and Latinx sexual minority men are at higher risk of both HIV and CVD when compared to heterosexual, nonethnic or minority men. Persons with HIV have a 1.5 to 2-times risk of having CVD than do HIV-negative persons. Data suggest that by the year 2030, an estimated 78% of persons with HIV will have CVD. The relationship between HIV and CVD in marginalized populations is not well understood because overall awareness of HIV and CVD as comorbid conditions is low, which further heightens risk. This has created a critically pressing issue affecting underrepresented ethnic and racial populations with HIV and requires immediate efforts to mitigate risk.ObjectiveThe purpose of this formative, mixed methods study is to use a community-engaged approach to map a behavioral intervention for CVD prevention in Black and Latinx sexual minority men with HIV in New York City.MethodsLiterature reviews focused on behavioral prevention studies using intervention mapping. In Aim 1, we will use qualitative interviews with HIV program managers and community members to understand facilitators and barriers to CVD prevention, chronic illnesses of concern, and early design elements needed for a web-based CVD prevention intervention. In Aim 2, we will conduct qualitative interviews and administer cross-sectional validated surveys with 30 Black and Latinx sexual minority men with HIV. We will assess illness perceptions of chronic conditions, such as HIV, hypertension, and diabetes. A total of 40 participants (program managers and community members) for Aims 1 and 2 will be enrolled to participate. To develop the protocol, we will follow steps 1 through 3 (needs assessment, change objectives, implementation strategy) of intervention mapping, using mixed methods.ResultsThe study was approved by New York University Institutional Review Board in February 2021 (IRB-FY2021-4772) and also by the Yale University Institutional Review Board in June 2022 (#2000031577). We anticipate completing data collection on or before December 2022. Early analyses suggested concerns about illnesses outside of HIV and associated comorbid conditions, such as COVID-19 and monkeypox. Additionally, we noted a strong interest in using a web-based platform for CVD prevention education.ConclusionsWeb-based, behavioral, CVD prevention interventions may be promising modalities to closing the cardiovascular health disparities gap in Black and Latinx sexual minority men with HIV by extending the reach of prevention interventions using community-informed approaches and technological modalities that have been underused in this population.International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)RR1-10.2196/41602

OPINION article Front. Public Health, 15 March 2022Sec. Public Health Education and Promotion https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.853736

In the U.S., Black men are disproportionately affected by HIV, with some of the highest HIV incidence rates and lowest rates of HIV testing. We examined correlates of HIV testing and knowledge among participants of the Barbershop Talk with Brothers (BTWB) project, an HIV prevention program targeting high-risk sexual behaviors amongBlack heterosexual men in Brooklyn, New York.Specifically, we examined differences between U.S. vs. foreign-born status and HIV testing rates, HIV knowledge, and socio-demographic factors. Of the 855 men included, the mean age was 33years and 35.0% were foreign-born. Lifetime HIV testing was reported at 84%, with greater proportion of U.S. vs foreign-born men reporting lifetime (88.6% vs. 75.0%) and recent testing (68.6% vs. 51.0%), p < 0.001. Among foreign-born men, recent HIV testing was associated with lower stigma and greater HIV transmission knowledge than those un-tested. The authors recommend tailored approaches to increasing HIV testing in Black communities, based on nativity and social factors.

Abstract Background Of all liver cancer cases detected in the United States, approximately 70% are caused by hepatitis B and C virus (HBV and HCV). Asian Americans (AAs) are disproportionally affected by liver cancer, with a mortality rate 60% higher than that of non-Hispanic White. In recent years the incidence rate of liver cancer in New York City has been 35% higher than the national average. Methods In New York City, we collaboratively developed and conducted a liver cancer prevention education with community-based organizations to increase awareness of liver cancer prevention and screening. Assessment data was collected from Asian American community members who participated in our educational workshops. Preliminary findings from 53 participants' knowledge on HBV, HCV, and liver cancer prior to the intervention, will be reported in this presentation. Chi-square and t-test were used to conduct data analysis. Results Almost half of the participants reported hearing about HBV (48.1%) and HCV (60.4%) from their medical team, and even fewer of them ever received HBV (37.7%) and HCV (9.4%) testing. Participants were knowledgeable on HBV/HCV transmission (scored 7.9 out of 10), they lack the knowledge on liver cancer risk factors (scored 1.9 out of 5). Those who were covered with health insurance were more knowledgeable on identifying risk factors of liver cancer than those uncovered (1.94 vs. 1.00, p&amp;lt;0.001). Conclusions Our findings show that there is a pressing need for educational intervention, especially in New York City, to promote liver cancer interventions among at-risk Asian Americans. Citation Format: Wenyue Lu, Kerry Traub, Safa Ibrahim, Elizabeth Yi, Ada Wong, Evelyn Gonzalez, Lin Zhu, Marilyn A. Fraser, Yin Tan, Olorunseun Ogunwobi, Grace X. Ma, Ming-Chin Yeh. Hepatitis B and C screening and knowledge of liver cancer in underserved Chinese American adults in New York City: A community-based assessment [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Conference: Thirteenth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2020 Oct 2-4. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(12 Suppl):Abstract nr PO-054.

ObjectiveGiven rising incidence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis (GC/CT), development of efficacious screening strategies is critical to interruption of the infection cycle. However, a small proportion of nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) results are inconclusive—resulting in delays in diagnosis and treatment. As such, this study seeks to evaluate factors associated with inconclusive rectal GC/CT NAAT.MethodsThis is a retrospective chart review of individuals who received an inconclusive rectal GC/CT NAAT result at a single institution from 3/2016-6/2018. Inconclusive GC/CT NAAT was defined as presence of PCR amplification inhibitors using Roche Cobas v2.0 CT/NG assay. Clinical charts were abstracted for age, gender, HIV status, GC/CT (urogenital, rectal, pharyngeal) and syphilis screening results during the study period, clinic type (HIV clinic, university student health center, other), and whether repeat testing occurred within 6 months following an inconclusive result. Logistic regression analysis was used to calculate adjusted and unadjusted odds ratios of factors associated with receipt of repeat testing following an inconclusive rectal GC/CT NAAT result.ResultsDuring the study period, 6.1% (852/14,015) of rectal GC/CT NAAT were inconclusive for one or both of GC and CT. Among the 413 patients whose inconclusive rectal GC/CT NAAT results that were included in our analysis, 66.6% (275/413) received repeat testing within 6 months, of which 8.7% (24/275) were positive (compared to 5.4% positivity rate of all rectal samples). In multivariable analysis, individuals living with HIV had lower odds of receiving repeat testing following inconclusive rectal GC/CT NAAT compared to HIV uninfected individuals (adj OR 0.25; p = 0.001).ConclusionsDespite being disproportionately affected by the STI epidemic, individuals living with HIV had 75% lower odds of receiving repeat testing following inconclusive rectal GC/CT NAAT compared to HIV-uninfected individuals, representing potentially missed opportunities for treatment and prevention of ongoing STI transmission.