Real and Perceived HIV Risk By Population Density: An Exploratory Examination

• NCJ Number: 195889
• Journal: Journal of Drug Issues Volume: 31 Issue: 4 Dated: Fall 2001 Pages: 889-903
• Author(s): Carl G. Leukefeld; David Farabee; Melissia McDermeit; Michael L. Dennis; Wendee M. Wechsberg; James A. Inciardi; Hilary L. Surratt; Wilson M. Compton; Linda B. Cottler; Hugh Klein; Jeffrey A. Hoffman; David Desmond; TK Logan
• Editor(s): Bruce Bullington
• Date Published: 2001
• Length: 14 pages
• Grant Number(s): DA08154
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This exploratory study was conducted to compare the real and perceived HIV risk among out-of-treatment drug users in a multi-site sample of low, medium, and high-population density counties in the United States.

Abstract

This exploratory study was conducted to compare the real and perceived HIV risk among out-of-treatment drug users in a multi-site sample of low, medium, and high-population density counties in the United States. The data examined in this study came from a Cooperative Agreement, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and collected by five groups at seven data collection sites in the United States. The goal of this cooperative agreement was to collect HIV risk information from a hidden population of 3,130 out-of-treatment crack and injection drug users. The Risk Behavior Assessment was used in the collection of data. There was no significant correlation between population density and raw population, contraindicating their use as interchangeable measures of the same construct. Consequently, the analyses of the urban-rural continuum were based on population density rather than county population. The perception of having no risk of acquiring HIV/AIDS was significantly more common among subjects in low-density areas than among those residing in high-density areas, with medium-density areas in the middle. The stability of the rates of HIV in low population areas indicates that people living in those areas are not adopting effective risk-reduction practices. A multivariate logistic regression model found that the risk patterns could be predicted primarily as a function of lifetime HIV, lifetime STDs, needle use, having multiple sexual partners, and community population density. Because of the different risk patterns and a false sense of security in some areas, this article emphasizes that it is important to expand HIV risk reduction activities to less populated areas of the United States. Tables, references