Efficacy of a Computerized Intervention on HIV and Intimate Partner Violence Among Substance-Using Women in Community Corrections: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVES

To test the efficacy of a computerized, group-based HIV and intimate partner violence (IPV) intervention on reducing IPV victimization among substance-using women mandated to community corrections.

METHODS

Between November 2009 and January 2012, we randomly allocated 306 women from community corrections in New York City to 3 study arms of a computerized HIV and IPV prevention trial: (1) 4 group sessions intervention with computerized self-paced IPV prevention modules (Computerized Women on the Road to Health [WORTH]), (2) traditional HIV and IPV prevention intervention group covering the same HIV and IPV content as Computerized WORTH without computers (Traditional WORTH), and (3) a Wellness Promotion control group. Primary outcomes were physical, injurious, and sexual IPV victimization in the previous 6 months at 12-month follow-up.

RESULTS

Computerized WORTH participants reported significantly lower risk of physical IPV victimization, severe injurious IPV victimization, and severe sexual IPV victimization at 12-month follow-up when compared with control participants. No significant differences were seen between Traditional WORTH and control participants for any IPV outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

The efficacy of Computerized WORTH across multiple IPV outcomes highlights the promise of integrating computerized, self-paced IPV prevention modules in HIV prevention groups.