Date of Conferral

8-5-2025

Degree

Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)

School

Public Health

Advisor

Claudia Kozinetz

Abstract

HIV was first diagnosed over 40 years ago in the United States; however, HIV remains an epidemic. An understanding of how socio-emotional support, social isolation, and support from an individual's provider influence HIV testing in the Southern United States can be a key to increasing testing rates and ultimately reducing the incidence and prevalence of HIV in the Southern United States. The purpose of this non-experimental quantitative study was to examine the relationship between HIV testing, socio-emotional support, and social isolation, and how these variables are further moderated by an individual having provider support in the Southern United States. The theoretical framework used in this study was the diffusion of innovation theory, which explains how health behavior is passively communicated to individuals and groups, building on the stage model of knowledge/ awareness, persuasion, decision, implementation, and confirmation. The secondary data used for this study were obtained from the 2022 CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) dataset. Twelve Southern states were used for this study, with a sample size of 60,506 individuals 18 years and above. A logistic regression analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The results indicated that socio-emotional support and social isolation significantly (p < 0.001) influenced HIV testing. The results further showed that these variables were moderated by individuals having provider support (p < 0.001), suggesting that…. The findings of this study will drive social change by actively shaping the culture around HIV testing in the Southern United States.

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