Cross-Sectional Predictors of Sexually-Related HIV Risk Among Latino Migrant Workers in the United States

The relationship between suspected predictors of current HIV risk, i.e. self-efficacy, social norms, expectancies, alcohol use, past HIV risk, past history sexual abuse, social support, and behavioral intention was investigated in a sample of Latino migrant workers living and working in the United States (N=270) using baseline data from a previous study. A series of multiple regression analyses were performed by adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics such as age, gender, marital status, educational attainment, and length of stay. Zero-inflated Poisson regression analysis showed that self-efficacy was associated with behavioral intention (β= 0.03, p= 0.04) and expectancies was associated with behavioral intention (β= -0.01, p = 0.04). Binary logistic regression analysis showed that past HIV risk was associated with the dependent variable, current HIV risk (β = 0.11, p= 0.01), while behavioral intention was associated with current HIV risk (β= -0.16, p= 0.02). Bayesian path analyses showed behavioral intention to partially mediate the relationship between self-efficacy and current HIV risk (β= 0.24, 95% CI: 0.10, 0.38) and to fully mediate the relationship between AOD use and HIV risk (β= 0.11, 95% CI: -0.05, 0.26). In summary, two socio-psychological factors emerged as significant predictors of HIV risk. Lower levels of behavioral intention and higher levels of past HIV risk were associated with higher current HIV risk. These findings are relevant for informing future studies on Latino migrant workers or similar populations and for planning interventions designed to prevent and/or reduce HIV risk