Assessment of HIV/AIDS prevention of rural African American Baptist leaders: implications for effective partnerships for capacity building in American communities.

Purpose: This exploratory study sought to elicit information from rural Baptist leaders about their interest in HIV prevention activities within their congregation and other influencers in their human deficiency virus (HIV) prevention activities based on their geographical residence (urban vs rural).

Methods: This study utilized both qualitative (in-depth interviews, N = 8) and quantitative (written survey, N = 56) methodologies (mixed method) in order to obtain pertinent information. A ministerial liaison was hired to assist in recruitment of participants within a statewide Baptist conference. Written surveys were distributed at a statewide meeting.

Results: The majority of participants (N = 50) in this study (89.3%) were receptive to conducting HIV/AIDS prevention activities within their congregations. The study also revealed rural/urban differences, including: interest in HIV/AIDS prevention, direct experiences with infected persons, or whether churches have a health-related ministry. Positive influencers of HIV/AIDS prevention in rural church leaders included either the participant or their spouse being in a health-related occupation, migratory patterns from larger metropolitan areas in other areas of the country to the rural south, and whether the church has a health-related ministry.

Conclusions: Findings from this study are significant for a variety of reasons, including use of faith-based models for HIV/ AIDS capacity building and use of potential influencers on HIV/AIDS prevention in African Americans in the rural Deep South, where the epidemic is growing fastest. Future implications of this study might include expansion of faith-based models to include other denominations and health care providers as well of use of positive influencers to develop future HIV/AIDS intervention strategies.