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Objectives. We evaluated the efficacy of HIV behavioral interventions for African American females in the United States, and we identified factors associated with intervention efficacy. Methods. We conducted a comprehensive literature review covering studies published from January 1988 to June 2007, which yielded 37 relevant studies. Data were analyzed using mixed-effects models and meta-regression. Results. Overall, behavioral interventions had a significant impact on reductions in HIV-risk sex behaviors (odds ratio [OR]=0.63; 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.54, 0.75; n=11239; Cochrane [Q.sub.32]=84.73; P Conclusions. Behavioral interventions are efficacious at preventing HIV and STIs among African American females. More research is needed to examine the potential contribution of prevention strategies that attend to community-level and structural-level factors affecting HIV infection and transmission in this population. (Am J Public Health. 2009;99:2069-2078. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2008.139519)

This article examines organizational-level outcomes achieved during a technical assistance (TA) initiative designed to increase the capacity of local health departments (LHDs) to prevent youth violence (YV) via a multisectoral approach. This effort was designed to address the knowledge gap regarding how to provide effective TA to LHDs, specifically in YV. Twelve communities with high rates of YV were selected to participate using a multistage process. TA provided to LHD representatives (and other community partners) included monthly calls with TA specialists, group online learning events, community-of-practice calls, and access to an online portal offering additional resources. Data sources were used to determine the extent to which communities achieved the initiative's intended outcomes, including increased infrastructure to support youth violence prevention (YVP) at LHDs and the creation of community-wide violence prevention plans. Data sources included an online TA tracking system, annual semistructured group interviews, and point-of-contact surveys. While results indicated variation in TA uptake across sites, several target outcomes were achieved including increased representation and engagement of diverse perspectives in local YVP efforts and strengthened infrastructure and integration of YVP at LHDs. Findings highlight the importance of supporting LHDs to align YVP work with other priorities and funded activities, building a larger role for leadership in providing organizational support for YV, supporting the development of multisector coalitions or partnerships to decrease silos among different sectors focused on similar populations or communities. Implications from this initiative suggest that LHDs can be supported to convene local, multisector YVP efforts, which can be sustained if local YVP infrastructure is enhanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Youth violence is a preventable public health issue. Few hospital-based programs intentionally focus on youth violence prevention. This project aimed to describe the Systematic Screening and Assessment (SSA) methodology used to identify existing hospital-based youth violence prevention (HBYVP) programs ready for future rigorous evaluation. To identify promising HBYVP programs currently in use and assess readiness for evaluation, data from the 2017 American Hospital Association (AHA) Annual Survey of Hospitals was used to identify hospitals with Level I-III trauma centers with reported HBYVP programs. Information for each program was gathered via environmental scan and key informant interviews. A total of 383 hospital-based violence prevention programs were identified. Two review panels were conducted with violence prevention experts to identify characteristics of programs suitable for an evaluability assessment (EA). Fifteen programs focused on youth (10–24 years old) and were identified to be promising and evaluable. Three of the 15 programs were determined to have the infrastructure and readiness necessary for rigorous evaluation. Lessons learned and best practices for SSA project success included use of streamlined outreach efforts that provide program staff with informative and culturally tailored project materials outlining information about the problem, project goals, proposed SSA activities, and altruistic benefit to the community at the initial point of contact. In addition, success of review panels was attributed to use of software to streamline panelist review processes and use of evaluation and data analysis subject matter experts to serve as panel facilitators. Communities experiencing high youth violence burden and hospitals serving these communities can improve health outcomes among youth by implementing and evaluating tailored HBYVP programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]