Intervening With Haitian Immigrants in the U.S. to Improve HIV Outcomes

Research design: The proposed study will test a culturally tailored engagement and retention intervention for Haitian immigrants living with HIV (HILWH). This is sequential mixed-methods formative pilot research that is designed to examine engagement and retention in care, and viral suppression (VS) for HILWH and adapt a promising intervention that will result in viral suppression between baseline and a 6 month follow-up assessment. The pilot will be conducted as a prospective, quasi-experimental single arm with a sample of newly diagnosed or nonvirally suppressed HIWLH adults drawn from 2 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) sites in Miami.

Procedures to be used:

AIM 1 mixed methods (quantitative and qualitative) data collection on barriers and facilitators to viral suppression among HILWH. Quantitative questionnaires will be completed by health care service providers and HILWH who will also participate in a Focus group. A sample of HILWH will participate in individual in-depth interviews.

AIM 2 consists of a pilot health intervention entailing completing research questionnaires at enrollment, post-intervention and at 6 months post-enrollment. In addition, participants will have 4 individual meetings, approximately once monthly over a six month period.

AIM 3 Photovoice participants will be 6 participants who have completed the pilot intervention (AIM 2) and agree to participate in the photovoice portion of the study. This activity will consist of 6 additional meetings where participants will be taught about using photographs to illustrate their experience participating in the study and taking photographs. This activity is expected to take approximately 8 additional hours over 2 and a half months. For these six participants, the total amount of time will be approximately 20 hours over 8 and 1/2 months.