New York, NY – Smoking can worsen the effects of HIV on a person’s health, however people living with HIV are two to three times more likely to smoke than those who are not living with the virus. This is a particular concern for sexual and gender minority (SGM) men of color, who have higher rates of both smoking and HIV. With a $25,000 seed grant from NYU Silver’s Office for Research, Assistant Professor Dale Dagar Maglalang is adapting a web-based smoking cessation program called EQQUAL (Empowered, Queer, Quitting, and Living) to help reduce smoking among SGM men of color living with HIV.
“There is currently a gap in smoking cessation interventions that acknowledge people’s intersecting identities,” said Dr. Maglalang, who is collaborating on the project with Fred Hutch Cancer Center Associate Professor Jaimee Heffner and NYU Silver Professor and Associate Dean for Research Marya Gwadz. “It is imperative that we develop specific smoking cessation interventions for SGM men of color living with HIV. In addition to other challenges, this population has lower rates of health insurance, which limits their access to smoking cessation counseling, services, and products.”
EQQUAL was designed for SGM young adults who smoke, explained Dr. Maglalang, and early studies have shown promising results in terms of smoking cessation as well as positive reception from patients and providers. It is grounded in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, an approach that focuses on helping clients confront and accept difficult events and feelings related to discrimination and stigma, and uses mindfulness and other cognitive and behavioral skills to deal with those experiences.
Dr. Maglalang and his colleagues will evaluate and adapt EQQUAL using a mixed methods approach and the Ecological Validity framework, which provides a guide for the cultural adaptation of interventions for racial and ethnic minority populations. The adaptation will be informed by qualitative interviews with 25 men with SGM men of color living with HIV who smoke daily. Their data and insights will be augmented by information gleaned from interviews with five smoking cessation experts (e.g., social service and substance use treatment providers) who serve that population. Findings from this study will be used to apply for federal grants to pilot the adapted EQQUAL program for this population.
“The adaptation of the EQQUAL program will be useful in creating a scalable, accessible, and low-cost intervention that addresses smoking among SGM men of color with HIV,” said Dr. Maglalang. “The program can be easily accessible through smartphones, tablet devices, or computers. Healthcare providers and clinicians can encourage their patients to use it in partnership with other evidence-based smoking cessation interventions and HIV care to improve their health and well-being.”
About the NYU Silver School of Social Work
Founded in 1960 and renowned for a strong tradition of excellence in direct social work practice and dedication to social justice, NYU Silver has provided rigorous training to more than 20,000 social work practitioners and leaders in every area of the field, making it the leading destination for students who want to become innovative practitioners at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels of social work practice. The School has four campuses in the heart of New York City, Rockland County, Westchester County, and Shanghai.