Linda Sprague Martinez’s research while affiliated with West Health and other places

Objectives. To evaluate the sustainability of bundled interventions aimed at expanding the delivery and utilization of HIV care and treatment services, tackling socio cultural health determinants, and improving health outcomes for Black women with HIV. Methods. We used quantitative data from the Program Sustainability Assessment Tool (PSAT) to examine sustainability capacity across sites in the United States. Qualitative data from monthly call forms completed by site staff (n = 199), annual site visit reports (n = 24), and one-on-one key informant interviews (n = 76) informed organizational and contextual factors influencing sustainability capacity. Results. A total of 59 stakeholders completed the PSAT. The initiative’s overall sustainability score was high (mean = 5.1; range = 3.8–6.6), with sites reporting favorably on program adaptation (mean = 5.8; range = 4.4–6.8), program evaluation (mean = 5.6; range = 3.9–7.0), and organizational capacity (mean = 5.6; range = 3.8–7.0) domains. Adaptability and responsiveness to client needs and sociopolitical contexts were determined valuable; establishing an evaluation infrastructure, capacity to integrate Black Women First (BWF) initiative activities within organizational operations, and environmental support facilitated sustainability. Conclusions. Interventions for Black women with HIV can be sustained and should be pursued and embedded consistently in community and health service organizations. ( Am J Public Health. 2025;115(S1):S28–S37. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307790 )

Objectives. To evaluate the sustainability of bundled interventions aimed at expanding the delivery and utilization of HIV care and treatment services, tackling socio cultural health determinants, and improving health outcomes for Black women with HIV. Methods. We used quantitative data from the Program Sustainability Assessment Tool (PSAT) to examine sustainability capacity across sites in the United States. Qualitative data from monthly call forms completed by site staff (n 5 199), annual site visit reports (n 5 24), and one-on-one key informant interviews (n 5 76) informed organizational and contextual factors influencing sustainability capacity. Results. A total of 59 stakeholders completed the PSAT. The initiative's overall sustainability score was high (mean 5 5.1; range 5 3.8-6.6), with sites reporting favorably on program adaptation (mean 5 5.8; range 5 4.4-6.8), program evaluation (mean 5 5.6; range 5 3.9-7.0), and organizational capacity (mean 5 5.6; range 5 3.8-7.0) domains. Adaptability and responsiveness to client needs and sociopolitical contexts were determined valuable; establishing an evaluation infrastructure, capacity to integrate Black Women First (BWF) initiative activities within organizational operations, and environmental support facilitated sustainability. Conclusions. Interventions for Black women with HIV can be sustained and should be pursued and embedded consistently in community and health service organizations. (Am J Public Health.

Objectives. To explore intersectional stigma and sociodemographic characteristics, with consideration of US regional differences, among Black women with HIV enrolled in the Black Women First (BWF) initiative. Methods. In this prospective, nonrandomized study, participants’ stigma scale responses and sociodemographic data were collected between May 2021 and August 2023. Participants participated in bundled interventions tailored to Black women’s needs and local contexts during this time. Repeated measure models, adjusted for site clustering, were conducted with consideration of regional differences. Results. There were significant sociodemographic and baseline stigma differences between Black women residing in the US South and other regions. By the 12-month follow-up timepoint, because of bundled interventions, stigma significantly reduced among Black women, especially women in the South and transgender women. Conclusions. Bundled interventions with stigma-reduction approaches that address intersectional stigma and consider geography may be an effective way to reduce and eliminate stigma for Black women with HIV. Public Health Implications. BWF aligns with the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (2022–2025), promoting the development and expansion of culturally sensitive, evidence-informed interventions to improve Black women’s health outcomes. ( Am J Public Health. 2025;115(S1):S75–S84. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2025.308037 )

Addressing the opioid overdose crisis requires both increasing the adoption of evidence-based practices (EBPs) and ensuring that EBPs reach individuals at high risk for opioid overdose death and population groups disproportionately burdened by fatal overdose. It is important to culturally adapt EBP strategies to reach these populations and to monitor the impact of these strategies. The HEALing Communities Study engaged coalitions in 67 communities across four states in the Communities That HEAL intervention to select and implement EBPs to reduce opioid overdose mortality. Coalitions were encouraged, but not required, to culturally adapt strategies for “special populations.” EBP strategies were documented in coalition action plans. The research team developed a data collection tool to capture quantitative and qualitative details from coalitions’ action plans. A standard operation procedure provided guidance on how to characterize cultural adaptations to reach special populations. Following the first wave of the intervention (January 2020 – June 2022), the research team utilized the DATA (Describe, Analyze, Theorize, and ACT) model for reflective practice in evaluation. Authors met to Describe efforts to reach special populations and each site’s approach to Analyze quantitative and qualitative data; to Theorize about how to improve data collection; and to identify Actions to better develop and document EBP cultural adaptation strategies in future studies. This manuscript presents examples of culturally adaptedEBP strategies designed to address the needs of multiple special populations in the first wave of the HEALing Communities Study. We share lessons and practical tips for designing, documenting, and monitoring cultural adaptation strategies. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04111939. Date of registration 10/01/2019.

Background The Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC) project identified 73 strategies for supporting the implementation of a novel intervention and evidence-informed practices. In this paper, we explore convenings, which engage stakeholders in proactive dialogues, as a mechanism to deliver multiple strategies that support sites adapting and implementing evidence-informed bundled interventions for Black women with HIV. Methods We use an instrumental case study design to explore strategies embedded in biannual convenings hosted by the Black Women First Initiative (BWF) Evaluation and Technical Assistance Provider (ETAP). Data sources including planning documents, direct observation of the convenings and analysis of convening attendee feedback surveys were analyzed. Results Using instrumental case study design, we found that convenings were a helpful tool that allowed for cross-site communication and collaboration. Communal re-examination of implementation strategies, coupled with training and network-weaving, created a rich learning environment to identify potential intervention adaptations and changes, unify on data collection, and prepare to test these adaptations at each respective site. Conclusions We discuss lessons learned when using convenings to help health care and community-based settings collectively explore and address adaptation and implementation barriers as they implement evidence-informed interventions to improve health outcomes for populations affected by chronic conditions, such as HIV.

Objective To understand how Long COVID is impacting the health and social conditions of the Black and Latinx communities. Background Emerging research on Long COVID has identified three distinct characteristics, including multi-organ damage, persistent symptoms, and post-hospitalization complications. Given Black and Latinx communities experienced significantly higher COVID rates in the first phase of the pandemic they may be disproportionately impacted by Long COVID. Methods Eleven focus groups were conducted in four languages with diverse Black and Latinx individuals (n = 99) experiencing prolonged symptoms of COVID-19 or caring for family members with prolonged COVID-19 symptoms. Data was analyzed thematically. Results Most participants in non-English language groups reported they were unfamiliar with the diagnosis of long COVID, despite experiencing symptoms. Long COVID impacts spanned financial and housing stability to physical and mental health impacts. Participants reported challenging encounters with health care providers, a lack of support managing symptoms and difficulty performing activities of daily living including work. Conclusions There is a need for multilingual, accessible information about Long COVID symptoms, improved outreach and healthcare delivery, and increased ease of enrollment in long-term disability and economic support programs.

Objectives: To review empirical and peer-reviewed scholarly articles incorporating community-based participatory research approaches and examining discourses of how power differentials are interrogated, negotiated, and redressed within the partnerships using scoping review methodology following The Joanna Briggs Institute framework and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Data sources: Articles were identified across five online databases: Embase, ERIC, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Web of Science. Review methods: Keywords used in the search strategy were ("Community-Based Participatory Research" OR "Participa-tory Action Research"). Peer-reviewed scholarly articles discussing in-depth power differentials within the partnership published in English between 2010 and 2020 were included. Results: Findings indicate scholars use critical reflexive qualitative methodologies to recognize and raise relevant questions of power issues between researchers and community stakeholders. Examination of individual biases, assumptions, and exertion of hierarchical top-down power is identified extensively. There is limited analysis on institutional and interdependent power. As a result of raising questions regarding power issues, individual actions to address emerging tensions and conflicts were reported. However, discussions on researchers' efforts to effect institutional and structural changes to redress power imbalances were limited. Conclusions: Building strong and equitable participatory action research collaborations between researchers and community stakeholders remains an arena of continuous struggle. This review offers some insights and relevant implications to better address power issues within participatory action research partnerships and inform the work of professionals engaged in the development, implementation, and evaluation of health promotion initiatives and policies.