All Projects Conference Call

October 16, 2000 @ 11:00 a.m. (CT)

Participating: David Barney, Betty Duran, Mike Tarter (UC Berkeley), Luiza Amodeo, Kari Maier (Las Cruces) Herman Curiel (OU), Ray Stewart & John Weibe (El Paso), Ken Burton, Steve Trujillo, Tony & Barbara Estrada (Tucson), Charles Smith, Thelma, Sandy Dugan, Yolanda Cantu (Harlingen), Rosana Scolari & Maria Zuniga (San Ysidro) - HRSA unable to participate due to lack of phone lines -

1. Data Managers Meeting - set for January 2001 one week following group meeting in San Francisco. Meeting is training for persons collecting data at sites who can return to project and train others. Tentative dates are January 19 and 20, 2001. Set for Friday and Saturday, asked sites to advise if Saturday poses any problems. Betty advised that Wayne Sauseda advised that projects can use program savings and submit revised budgets to HRSA to cover costs.

2. Acculturation: Herman is working with sites on issue which is very complex. Question is whether we want to work with a long or short survey? Mike - are we using question about language proficiency, reading skills, education levels, etc. David advised that Kurt suggested Marins 4-point scale. Tony Estrada introduced his 13-item scale which assess for acculturation issues vs. only a language scale. Advantages are 13-items are not that long, reliability has been very high, used with general population and injection drug users. Yolanda to Tony - How effective with newly arrived immigrants? Tony said they have used with border populations and should be able to tease out new information with newly arrived populations. Tony - Is acculturation scales useful with border communities which use only Spanish to conduct interventions? Mike Tarter, care to remove acculturation variable from the length of residence. Tony - has used traditionalism scale that looks at personal activities. Maria - acculturation is multi-dimensional and we will not be able to capture all nuances of this variable. Mike #18 in demographics, "time in catchment area," should collect number of months and years. Assignments: e-mail on whether sites want acculturation variables in multi-site evaluation; Spanish language variable will remain in demographics. Also respond as to whether sites would prefer a short or long scale, Marin is bi-demensional, or traditionality scale (scales take about 5-minutes to administer). How will scales be used? (Tony) - David advised they will be used as covariant for analysis and to develop a data set for secondary analysis at a later time. Mike - date that scale is administered is important. David inquired about question that asks about citizenship. OK with sites. John Weibe - recommend that language scale be used for multi-site and local sites may elect to use longer scales that may be relevant to their projects. Mike - suggested adding reading level and ability to understand handout materials in Spanish or English (literacy). John - single self report item on proficiency of Spanish and/or English could be used. Responses due in a couple of days.II. Promotores Model: Question to Sites - Are there differences between Promotores and traditional outreach models. David proposed general outreach questions for all sites, concluded with a few questions specific to Promotores outreach. Luiza - OK for NM. Yolanda - important to identify whether regular outreach or Promotores, and outreach activities would be the same for both models? David - no clarity as to whether there is differences in activities under both types of outreach. Asked sites for feedback.

III. Review of demographic variables: Luiza has list of concerns that she will e-mail to David. David asked is any major questions about variables. Mike - #18 include months and years of residence. Question about gender #3 are variables required by HRSA - can add sub-variable. David briefly reviewed changes to variables - education has six variables that necessitate feedback from sites to narrow down. Took off risk factors, added presenting issues (#27). Keri - add question about health status (chronic illness, poor health - advanced stages). Yolanda - HIV status, need to add categories for children (born exposed, sero-reversion which are needed for tracking), Yolanda will provide information to David. Need feedback ASAP as we want to develop the TELEforms for the modules.

IV. Risk Factors: David asked sites to look at the Measurement Group module for Risk Factors and advise if sites would like to add other risk factors such as Mental Health. Please critique and provide feedback via e-mail.

V. Question and Answers: San Diego site visit was very productive. First day focused on logic model and second day collaborating sites were bought in to work on local evaluation. Thelma - Valley AIDS - Question about agenda, Betty advised each site will develop the agenda.

VI. Next Meeting: Mike suggested Tuesday or Thursdays. November 9, 2000 at 11:00 a.m. Topics will include acculturation module, Promotores module, demographics finalized, and begin work on next modules. Meeting ended at 12:00 p.m.