Presenter(s): Renata Moreno Perez
Faculty Mentor(s): Jessica M. Cronce
Poster 118
Session: Social Sciences & Humanities
Social support is associated with health, in particular reduced engagement in HIV-related risk behaviors (HRRB), such as not getting tested (Qiao, Li, & Stanton, 2014). However, less research has examined if there are group differences in social support based on past/current engagement in HRRB. This project addresses this question, hypothesizing that people engaged in HRRB would have lower social support, and also explores whether the level of social support among people that are engaged in HRRB differs based on their racial/ethnic identity. I used a secondary data set from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), collected in 2017 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An independent samples t-test showed those endorsing any HRRB in the past 12 months reported less social support than those endorsing no HRRB, t(19305) = 7.81, p < .001. When the sample was restricted to only those endorsing any HRRB, an ANOVA showed an overall difference in social support based on race/ethnicity, F(5, 703) = 5.78, p < .001. Post hoc tests showed that Black, Non-Hispanic and Hispanic individuals had less emotional support compared to white individuals. This research is important because individuals lacking in social support may be less likely to get tested for HIV due to fears of stigma and further loss of social connections. Knowing that individuals engaged in HRRB have lower social support, and that this support is particularly low for two populations that suffer discrimination can help inform and target social support interventions aimed at reducing HIV incidence.