Reducing HIV-related Stigma in School Children in Northern Uganda

Summary

Over 2.6 million children aged 0-15 years are living with HIV globally, with the majority living in low and middle income countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Addressing stigma associated with HIV is key given the significant harm that may be experienced in the form of negative health and social outcomes, reduced access to HIV prevention services, and increased vulnerability to infection. This stepped-wedge, cluster randomized trial with assess the impact of an arts-based HIV stigma intervention on knowledge and attitudes towards children who are HIV+ and - affected; enacted, internalized, anticipated, courtesy, and perceived stigma (primary outcomes); HIV testing frequency among sexually active participants; linkage to care, antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation and adherence among HIV+ participants; and viral suppression among HIV+ participants (secondary outcomes) of children aged 10+ years in Omoro District, Uganda, post-intervention and 5-months post-intervention.

Conditions

• HIV-related Stigma
• Health Risk Behaviors
• Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Arts-based HIV stigma intervention

The intervention will consist of 2-hour weekly sessions offered to students in participating schools. HIV-related stigma will be addressed by providing key information related to HIV and stigma, facilitating the acquisition of coping skills, and utilizing local cultural practices facilitated by Elders using creative methods to shift existing social and cultural norms that produce and perpetuate stigmatization. Specific intervention activities will include three interrelated activities. The core 2-hour weekly session will cover (1) transformative educational activities; (2) arts-based activities; (3) a summative activity consisting of (3) participatory theatre activites.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

  collaborator OTHER_GOV

• The AIDS Support Organization

  collaborator OTHER

• Waroco Kwo Elders Association

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Omoro District Health Office

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Omoro District Education Office

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Thompson Rivers University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Bonnie Fournier, PhD RN · Thompson Rivers University

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

OTHER

Masking

NONE

Model

CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age

10 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2021-05-05

Primary Completion

2023-11-24

Completion

2024-01-06

Countries

• Uganda

Study Locations