Predictors of school dropout among adolescents in Puerto Rico.

Objective: This research aims to understand the circumstances associated with school dropout in a cohort of Puerto Rican adolescents.

Methods: The study collected data from adolescents and their parents. Information related to school dropout among adolescents was obtained from the second year follow-up data from the longitudinal study funded by NIDA "Risky Families Embedded in Risky Environments" (Grant No.

From research to community-based practice--working with Latino researchers to translate and diffuse a culturally relevant evidence-based intervention: the Modelo de Intervención Psicomédica (MIP) experience.

Efforts to translate, package, and diffuse HIV/AIDS research into practice have gained momentum with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) launch of three projects: the Prevention Research Synthesis Project, which identifies evidence-based interventions studies; the Replicating Effective Programs Project, which supports the translation of evidence-based interventions into materials suitable for use in local prevention programs; and the Diffusion of Effective Behavioral Interventions Project, which moves behavioral interventions into full-scale practice across the United States. This article describes the CDC's fast-track process of translation, packaging, and diffusion of an HIV intervention for Hispanic/Latino injection drug users, the Modelo de Intervención Psicomédica conducted by the Diffusion of Effective Behavioral Interventions Project in collaboration with a CBA organization and the original researchers.

Pilot trial of an intervention aimed at modifying drug preparation practices among injection drug users in Puerto Rico.

Injection drug users (IDUs) contaminate preparation materials with blood-borne pathogens by using syringes as measuring and dispensing devices. In collaboration with IDUs, we developed a preventive intervention consisting of four new preparation practices aimed at avoiding the use of syringes in the preparation, and reducing the contamination of the materials. This report describes the results of a pilot trial introducing the new practices to ascertain their adoption potential and their potential efficacy in reducing contamination.

Enhancing the research environment in Puerto Rico with the facilitator-mentoring model.

This paper documents the experience of a researcher who uses her research center as a training site to develop behavioral science researchers. It addresses the importance of students' selection, the flexibility of the research environment and the multiple activities provided to develop young students into researchers. Comments of some participants of the Facilitator-Mentoring Model are also documented.

Sex risk behaviors of drug users: a dual site study of predictors over time.

Reducing sex risk behaviors among high-risk injection drug users (IDUs) and crack smokers is a continuing challenge for HIV prevention. Based on a longitudinal study of sexually active Puerto Rican IDUs and crack smokers in New York (n = 573) and Puerto Rico (n = 264), baseline predictors of changes in sex risk (number of unprotected sex acts) at 6- and 36-month follow-up interviews were examined. In New York, predictors of higher sex risk were being younger, having primary partners, having more other sex partners, never exchanging sex, having lower self-efficacy for reducing sex risk behaviors and being HIV-negative, and these predictors were significant at both postbaseline periods.

Prevalence of drug resistance and associated mutations in HIV-positive Puerto Ricans: sex variations.

Introduction: A cross sectional study was conducted from 2002-2004 to record the evolution of HIV-1 infection in Puerto Rico by monitoring the expression of antiretroviral resistance-associated mutations.

Methods: Samples were analyzed by using the TRUGENE HIV-1 Genotyping Kit and the OpenGene DNA Sequencing System.

Results: Mutations in the HIV-1 virus were detected in 92.

Peer norms and sharing of injection paraphernalia among Puerto Rican injection drug users in New York and Puerto Rico.

This study examines the influence of peer norms on sharing of injection paraphernalia (e.g., indirect sharing behaviors, including sharing of cookers, cotton, rinse water and back/front loading) among Puerto Rican injection drug users (IDUs) in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, and East Harlem, New York City.

Designing an experimental HIV/HCV intervention to promote the safe re-use of drug preparation materials by injection drug users in Puerto Rico.

Injection drug users (IDUs) in San Juan, Puerto Rico are characterized by high rates of daily injecting, injection of shared drugs, re-use of injection syringes, and use of shooting galleries. They lack adequate access to new injection syringes and drug preparation equipment, and experience elevated rates of HIV and HCV infection. Between April and August, 2006, researchers and active IDUs collaborated in the development of an experimental HIV/HCV intervention aimed at identifying drug preparation items and practices that will enable IDUs to make drug solutions without potentially contaminated injection syringes contacting materials used to prepare drugs.

Neighborhood disorganization, substance use, and violence among adolescents in Puerto Rico.

This study investigates the role of neighborhoods in adolescent violence in poor neighborhoods in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The study is part of a larger longitudinal project examining risk and resilience in adolescents' ages 12 to 15 years old and their caregivers. Using a cross-sectional design, a self-completion questionnaire, and an interviewer questionnaire, the authors assessed violent behaviors among participants across demographics, characteristics, and neighborhood social disorganization using the concepts of physical disorders and social disorder.

Gender differences in drug use and sexual risk behaviors among non-injecting heroin users in Puerto Rico.

Introduction: During the 1990s non-injected heroin use (NIHU) increased notably in several countries. However, very few studies have examined the drug-using practices and other problem behaviors of NIHUs. In this study, we compared male and female NIHUs from Puerto Rico across a number of domains.

Correlates of early sexual activity among Hispanic children in middle adolescence.

Objective: We analyzed early sexual activity among Hispanic 14 to 15-year-old adolescents residing in a poor neighborhood in Puerto Rico.

Methods: Information from a sample of 325 adolescents was collected from a randomized sample of community households. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the variables that help explained adolescents' sexual behavior.

Predictors of injection drug use cessation among Puerto Rican drug injectors in New York and Puerto Rico.

More than half of all AIDS cases among Puerto Ricans have been attributed to injection drug use. Predictors of injection drug use cessation were examined among Puerto Rican injection drug users (IDUs) in New York and Puerto Rico. Analysis of baseline and 6-month follow-up data from 670 IDUs in NY and 316 in PR showed that 47% NY and 20% in PR reported cessation of injection at follow-up (p < .

The Puerto Rico-New York airbridge for drug users: description and relationship to HIV risk behaviors.

This study examined mobility on the airbridge between New York (NY) and Puerto Rico (PR) for Puerto Rican drug users and its relationship to HIV risk. Over 1,200 Puerto Rican injection drug users (IDUs) and crack smokers were recruited by outreach workers in NY and PR; interview data included questions on mobility (lifetime residences and recent trips). Two-thirds of the NY sample had lived in PR; one-quarter of the PR sample had lived in NY; the most commonly sited reasons for moving were family-related.

Severe anxiety symptomatology and HIV risk behavior among Hispanic injection drug users in Puerto Rico.

Despite an overall decrease in AIDS incidence in Puerto Rico, our studies continue to show high prevalence of HIV risk behaviors among injection drug users (IDUs). This study seeks to evaluate whether the occurrence of injection-related and sex-related HIV risk behaviors among IDUs in Puerto Rico varies with the presence of anxiety symptomatology. Subjects included 557 IDUs, recruited from street settings in poor neighborhoods in Puerto Rico.

A comparative study of mortality among Puerto Rican injection drug users in East Harlem, New York, and Bayamon, Puerto Rico.

Drug users have been found to be at high risk of mortality but the mortality experience of Hispanic drug users remains understudied. This study assessed mortality among Puerto Rican injection drug users (IDUs) in New York City (NY), and in Puerto Rico (PR). Study subjects were 637 IDUs from NY and 319 IDUs from PR.

A longitudinal study of syringe acquisition by Puerto Rican injection drug users in New York and Puerto Rico: implications for syringe exchange and distribution programs.

Increasing access to sterile syringes and new drug preparation materials is an effective means of reducing HIV transmission among injection drug users (IDUs), and a fundamental component of harm reduction ideology. The purpose of this study is to examine changes during a three-year period in syringe acquisition by street-recruited Puerto Rican IDUs characterized by frequent drug injection and high HIV seroprevalence. At baseline (1998-1999) and 36-month follow-up, 103 IDUs recruited in East Harlem, New York (NY), and 135 from Bayamón, Puerto Rico (PR) were surveyed about syringe sources and HIV risk behaviors in the prior 30 days.

An exploratory qualitative study of polydrug use histories among recently initiated injection drug users in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

It is well documented that drug users often modulate the effects of their primary drugs of use (e.g., cocaine) by using other drugs (e.

Improving drug treatment services for Hispanics: research gaps and scientific opportunities.

Delivery of services to Hispanic drug users remains a great challenge, as shown by low service access and retention, and disproportionate negative consequences of drug abuse in the Hispanic population. This paper provides a critical analysis of current services research on Hispanics with drug abuse problems, identifies gaps in the knowledge, and offers recommendations for scientific opportunities to address these gaps, focusing on four central needs: (1) the need to understand the circumstances of Hispanics in their own communities (i.e.

Impaired cytokine production and suppressed lymphocyte proliferation activity in HCV-infected cocaine and heroin ("speedball") users.

HCV-infected "speedball" users (n = 30) were selected from an original cohort of 400 intravenous drug users for cytokine analysis. Cytokine concentrations (TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6, IFN-gamma, IL-2, IL-4, IL-10 and IL-12) were determined in plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) cultures derived ex vivo from these patients. In addition, lymphocyte proliferation was measured in 49 HCV-positive "speedball" users.

Sexual identity formation and AIDS prevention: an exploratory study of non-gay-identified Puerto Rican MSM from working class neighborhoods.

As a subgroup of men who have sex with men (MSM), non-gay-identified (NGI) behaviorally bisexual Latino MSM are associated with heightened probabilities of HIV transmission, yet they have eluded HIV/AIDS interventionists. This exploratory study of Puerto Rican MSM drug users employed multi-session qualitative interviews to examine early life experiences related to gender identity and sexual orientation, and the place of risky drug and sexual behaviors in the process of sexual identity formation. NGI participants experienced sexual debut between ages 13 and 20, and most were recruited to prostitution as young teens by NGI age mates who were also members of drug use networks.

Drug treatment disparities among Hispanic drug-using women in Puerto Rico and New York City.

This paper reports findings on 334 out-of-treatment drug users in Puerto Rico and 617 in New York City, at the 6-month follow-up interview of a Longitudinal Survey. Main outcomes were health care and drug treatment utilization since baseline, assessed by asking participants if they had received physical or mental health services (including HIV medications), and if they had been in methadone maintenance, inpatient or outpatient drug treatment, or drug treatment while incarcerated. Chi-square tests were used to evaluate associations between gender and the various correlates.

Elicitation of salient beliefs related to drug preparation practices among injection drug users in Puerto Rico.

Even when IDUs use their own syringes, the common use of drug preparation materials can expose them to blood-borne pathogens. Notwithstanding the accumulated evidence about the riskiness of drug preparation practices (DPPs), the factors that lead IDUs to engage in DPPs have remained understudied. We conducted 80 semi-structured interviews to elicit salient beliefs about engaging in low-risk DPPs.

HIV transmission behaviors in jail/prison among puerto rican drug injectors in New York and Puerto Rico.

This study examined HIV risk behavior in jail/prison among Puerto Rican drug injectors in New York (NY, n = 300) and Puerto Rico (PR, n = 200), and its relationship with later drug and sex risk behaviors. During 3 years prior to interview, 66% of NY and 43% of PR samples were incarcerated at least once. While incarcerated, 5% of NY and 53% of PR injected drugs.

Homelessness and HIV risk behaviors among drug injectors in Puerto Rico.

This report examines associations between homelessness and HIV risk behaviors among injection drug users (IDUs) in Puerto Rico. The study sample consisted of 557 IDUs who were not in treatment, recruited in inner-city neighborhoods of the North Metro Health Care Region. Subjects were categorized into three groups by residential status (last 30 days): housed, transitionally housed (living with friends, family, or others but considering themselves homeless), and on-the-street homeless (living on the street or in a shelter).