Elimination of Health Disparities through Translation Research

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The proposed study forges a link between Emory University Rollins School of Public Health and New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia. The study aims are: (1) to adapt the evidence-based SISTA HIV intervention for African-American women by applying the ADAPT-ITT model to develop an adapted faith-based HIV intervention; (2) to assess the acceptability of the adapted faith-based HIV intervention by administering an acceptability survey to the community advisory board and pilot attendants; (3) to assess the efficacy of the faith-based adapted HIV intervention by demonstrating a reduction in unprotected sexual intercourse and mediators of safer sex over the 6-month follow-up period comparable to young adult women in the original SiSTA HIV intervention; (4) to enhance adoption of the faith-based adapted HIV intervention by training African-American females, 18 - 29 years of age from each of the six New Birth Affiliate Churches (N = 50 women total) to implement the faith-based adapted SISTA HIV Intervention; (5) to enhance diffusion of the faith-based adapted HIV intervention by having each of the 50 trainers implement the intervention to five to ten women in the target population attending New Birth Affiliate Churches; (6) to assess fidelity to the faith-base adapted HIV intervention among the 50 trainers by having them complete a Session Adherence form after every workshop administered and (7) to determine the economic feasibility of implementing the faith-based adapted HIV intervention by assessing the cost to implement this intervention.