NIMH project accept (HPTN 043): Results from in-depth interviews with a longitudinal cohort of community members

• Main Authors: Suzanne Maman, Heidi Van Rooyen, Petra Stankard, Alfred Chingono, Tshifhiwa Muravha, Jacob Ntogwisangu, Zipho Phakathi, Namtip Srirak, Stephen F. Morin, Laurie Abler, Christopher Bamanyisa, Chris Beyrer, Adam W. Carrico, David Celentano, Suwat Chariyalertsak, Lillianne Chovenye, Thomas J. Coates, Kathryn Curran, Deborah Donnell, Susan Eshleman, Agnès Fiamma, Katherine Fritz, Janet Frohlich, Becky Genberg, Glenda Gray, Amy Gregowski, Harry Hausler, Zdenek Hlavka, Daniel Hlubinka, Nora Margaret Hogan, Le Tanya Johnson-Lewis, Philip Joseph Tendayi Jubenkanda, Salim Abdool Karim, Surinda Kawichai, Sebastian Kevany, Gertrude Khumalo-Sakutukwa, G. P. Kilonzo, Michal Kulich, Oliver Laeyendecker, Tim Lane, Florence P. Lema, Benjamin Link, Tserayi Machinda, Jessie Mbwambo, Nuala McGrath, James McIntyre, Sakhile Mhlongo, Joanne Mickalian, Precious Modiba, Simon Morfit, Khalifa M. Mrumbi, Marta I. Mulawa, Oliver Murima, Thulani Ngubani, Audrey Pettifor, Estelle Piwowar-Manning, Linda Richter, Gavin Robertson, Andrew M. Sadowski, Memory Sendah, Basant Singh, Michael Sweat, Greg Szekeres, Andrew Timbe, Surasing Visrutaratna, Godfrey Woelk, Carla E. Zelaya
• Format: Journal
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: Agricultural and Biological Sciences; Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=84900322110&origin=inward; http://cmuir.cmu.ac.th/jspui/handle/6653943832/53093
• Institution: Chiang Mai University

Introduction: NIMH Project Accept (HPTN 043) is a community- randomized trial to test the safety and efficacy of a community-level intervention designed to increase testing and lower HIV incidence in Tanzania, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Thailand. The evaluation design included a longitudinal study with community members to assess attitudinal and behavioral changes in study outcomes including HIV testing norms, HIV-related discussions, and HIV-related stigma. Methods: A cohort of 657 individuals across all sites was selected to participate in a qualitative study that involved 4 interviews during the study period. Baseline and 30-month data were summarized according to each outcome, and a qualitative assessment of changes was made at the community level over time. Results: Members from intervention communities described fewer barriers and greater motivation for testing than those from comparison communities. HIV-related discussions in intervention communities were more grounded in personal testing experiences. A change in HIV-related stigma over time was most pronounced in Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Participants in the intervention communities from these two sites attributed community-level changes in attitudes to project specific activities. Discussion: The Project Accept intervention was associated with more favorable social norms regarding HIV testing, more personal content in HIV discussions in all study sites, and qualitative changes in HIV-related stigma in two of five sites. © 2014 Maman et al.