Knowledge Item: CA-Initiative Impact-07
High Need Populations Enrolled in Services

HRSA/HAB's SPNS funded 17 HIV service models to find underserved individuals and provide appropriate, effective services. Demographic and HIV-risk factor data were collected at enrollment. From these variables, items have been identified that are indicators of underserved or marginalized groups including service access, understanding services, and problem behaviors for retention. As of June 15, 1999 when the final project data were submitted for analysis, 2579 men and 2225 women were or had been enrolled in 17 projects in the period from October 1994 through June 1999. 

As estimated from participants for whom data were available, enrollees had the following characteristics: 

• 6.0% were under age 21 or over age 55;

• 72.5% were people of color;

• 11.9% had a primary language other than English;

• 20.0% had children requiring care;

• 45.3% had an education of less than 12 years;

• 85.7% were unemployed or not working;

• 88.9% were dependent on public support for medical insurance (no private insurance);

• 28.2% used or had used heroin;

• 44.9% used or had used crack;

• 56.9% used or had used another illicit drug;

• 54.2% had a current or prior alcohol problem;

• 49.7% were or had been involved with the criminal justice system;

• 22.1% engaged in current or prior sex work;

• 42.9% engaged in current or prior sex with an injection drug user;

• 46.4% were without stable housing.

The average number of these indices was 7.13 (standard deviation = 2.73, n = 1060) for males and 6.75 (standard deviation = 2.68, n = 1054) for females (t = 3.23 [or F=10.44] for the difference, degrees of freedom = 2112, p < .001). Almost all enrollees (87.7%) have four or more need-vulnerability factors. These national demonstration projects of innovative HIV services identified high-need populations not traditionally served. 

Clients of these programs may be characterized as facing, on the average, about seven traditional barriers to services.

Comment:      Patients or Clients?

More Information:     CHAID and CHAID Diagram

Knowledge Item Citation: Huba, G. J., Melchior, L. A., Panter, A. T., and the HRSA/HAB SPNS Cooperative Agreement Steering Committee (1998-2001). Knowledge Item: CA-Initiative Impact-07 from HRSA/HAB's SPNS Cooperative Agreements on Innovative Models of Care, The Measurement Group Knowledge Base on HIV/AIDS Care, Online at www.TheMeasurementGroup.com.