HIV testing intentions and cognitive reappraisal among Latino emerging adults

ABSTRACT

Negative emotions related to HIV testing may influence an individual’s intentions to test for HIV. However, emotion regulation strategies such as cognitive reappraisal which involves reframing the meaning of an event to modify one’s emotional response to it may potentially help to regulate these emotions and facilitate decisions to get tested for HIV. In this exploratory study, we examined the association between cognitive reappraisal and HIV testing intentions and whether this association differs by gender. Cross-sectional data were collected from a convenience sample of 157 Latino emerging adults aged 18–25 years living in Arizona and Florida through an online survey. Hierarchical logistic regression models were used to analyze the data. Results indicated that cognitive reappraisal was significantly associated with HIV testing intentions (aOR: 1.44, 95% CI:1.04-1.99) and that this association was specific to females (aOR: 2.48, 95% CI: 1.39-4.43). Our results demonstrate the potential of cognitive reappraisal to facilitate HIV testing intentions among females. HIV prevention interventions should incorporate cognitive reappraisal training to regulate and adapt to the negative emotions associated with HIV testing in efforts to increase HIV testing.

KEYWORDS:

• HIV testing
• emotion regulation
• cognitive reappraisal
• Latino/a
• emerging adults

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge Carlos Estrada, Diana Gutierrez, and Irma Beatriz Vega de Luna for their work in recruiting participants for the project and all the study participants. Preparation of this article was supported by FIU University Graduate School Dissertation Year Fellowship, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism [K01 AA025992] and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities [K01 MD013770, 5S21MD010683, U54MD012393]. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official view of the National Institutes of Health.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Florida International University: [Grant Number Dissertation Year Fellowship]; National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism: [Grant Number K01 AA025992]; National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities: [Grant Number 5S21MD010683,K01 MD013770,U54MD012393].