THE IMPACT OF PROVIDING INCENTIVES FOR ATTENDANCE AT AIDS-PREVENTION SESSIONS

The research literature on AIDS prevention efforts contains many repor ts on the impact of intervention sessions. Little information is avail able, however, on the success of various strategies to recruit clients to attend these sessions. An assessment of the comparative impact of money and other types of incentives on group attendance in two AIDS ri sk reduction projects, in the Harlem area of New York City and in Clev eland, OH, was undertaken. In both projects, injecting drug users and the sex partners of injecting drug users were recruited to participate in group sessions that focused on the reduction of AIDS risk behavior s. Data on group attendance were analyzed for 838 people in the New Yo rk project and 1,168 in the Ohio project. After the projects were unde rway, attendance incentives at both were changed from money to food co upons or gift certificates. Results indicated that a nonmonetary incen tive was associated with a significant decline in group attendance. Co ncerns regarding paying monetary incentives to injecting drug users ar e discussed.