Johns Hopkins Study Reveals Weekly Patterns in HIV Prevention and Risk Behaviors

NEW YORK, May 11, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The peak time for seeking information on topics related to HIV, such as prevention and testing, may be at the beginning of the week, while risky behaviors seem to increase on the weekends, according to a new analysis by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and The Monday Campaigns.

The researchers say their work, published April 21 in the journal AIDS Care, suggests that recognizing these weekly patterns could help identify more ways to prevent and treat HIV infection in the US and in turn help to reduce the 50,000 HIV infections per year — a number that has remained largely unchanged since the 1990s. 

The researchers found that evidence points to an uptick in web searches for topics related to HIV/AIDS at the beginning of the work week, and noted that similar trends have been documented for calls to informational hotlines and queries on "ask the expert" websites.  These patterns have also been seen in previous Google search data analyses for general health and quit smoking topics, and the study's authors attributed these past trends and their latest findings to a possible perception that Monday is a fresh start, which may motivate people to get back on track with health regimens.

"Human behavior is complex, and the more we understand about behaviors related to HIV, the better equipped we are to develop effective interventions that can improve the health of people living with HIV and reduce transmission," says study leader David Holtgrave, PhD, a professor and chair of the Department of Health, Behavior and Society at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Man Up Monday Boosts Testing Numbers

An initiative of the Monday Campaigns already showing promising results in leveraging this "Monday mindset" is Man Up Monday, which uses eye-catching images like flaming boxer shorts to encourage sexually active men to get tested.  Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Virginia (PPSEV) saw a 200% increase in testing over the previous year in a test pilot of Man Up Monday run in conjunction with an offer for discounted testing for Monday appointments.

The campaign has also met with positive results on college campuses, with Murray State University in Kentucky and the University of Missouri asking students to "Man Up" and get tested for HIV and other STIs.  Motivated by the campaign, hundreds of students have been tested and treated for STIs that would have otherwise gone untreated.  In the case of Murray State, the campaign also helped to foster positive relationships between campus and local health department officials, leading to the establishment of on-campus HIV testing that was previously only available at the health department clinic a few miles away.

"The combination of smart advertising and marketing strategies with public health messaging is really helping to boost testing numbers," says Morgan Johnson, director of programs and research for The Monday Campaigns and an author on the study.  "Of course, the key strategy is using Monday as a leverage point for communicating these messages.  People seem to be more receptive to health messaging at the beginning of the week, so that's really a time when we need to try to reach them."

"An exploration of weekly patterns in HIV-related behaviors: implications for successful interventions and future research" was written by Laura W. Fuentes, Morgan L. Johnson, MPH, and David R. Holtgrave, PhD. This research was supported by The Monday Campaigns.

About the Monday Campaigns

The Monday Campaigns is a nonprofit organization in association with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, and the Maxwell School of Syracuse University. Originator of the Meatless Monday campaign, the organization dedicates the first day of every week to health to create a movement of individuals and organizations that join together every Monday to commit to healthy behaviors that can help end preventable chronic diseases. More information: http://www.mondaycampaigns.org/campaigns/man-up-monday/

About Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

As a leading international authority on public health, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is dedicated to protecting health and saving lives. Every day, the Bloomberg School works to keep millions safe from illness and injury by pioneering new research, deploying its knowledge and expertise in the field, and educating tomorrow's scientists and practitioners in the global defense of human life. Founded in 1916 as part of the Johns Hopkins University, the Bloomberg School of Public Health is the world's oldest and largest independent school of public health. More information: www.jhsph.edu.

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SOURCE The Monday Campaigns

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