Crowdsourcing to Reduce HIV Stigma Among Adolescents and Young Adults in Kazakhstan

Summary

This project will assess whether a digital crowdsourced intervention can reduce HIV stigma and promote HIV self-testing among adolescents and young adults (AYA). NIH has emphasized the need for research on interventions to reduce HIV-associated stigma and its impact on the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS, particularly in low and middle income countries (LMICs). The proposed study has the highest public health significance: it uses a community-based participatory approach to engage local AYA to develop a digital crowdsourced HIV stigma reduction and self-testing intervention to reduce HIV stigma and increase HIV testing.

Study Aim 1: To develop a crowdsourced digital HIV stigma reduction and self-testing intervention targeting AYA in Kazakhstan. Using a community-based participatory approach that engages local adolescents and young adults (AYA) and youth organizations, we will launch a national crowdsourcing contest in which AYA will design multimedia content to reduce HIV stigma in order to promote HIV testing among peers.

Study Aim 2: To pilot test this crowdsourced HIV stigma reduction and self-testing intervention in a preliminary efficacy trial. We will assess the intervention's feasibility and acceptability and obtain preliminary estimates of its effects on decreasing HIV stigma (primary outcome) and increasing HIV testing (secondary outcome) among AYA in Kazakhstan who received the intervention compared to individuals who did not. Participants (n=168) will be randomized 1:1 to: 1) receive the winning multimedia crowdsourced HIV stigma reduction content and a link for HIV self-testing, or 2) receive standard Kazakhstan Ministry of Health HIV informational materials and a link for HIV self-testing.

Conditions

• Stigma, Social
• HIV Testing

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Digital Crowdsourced Intervention to Reduce HIV Stigma among Adolescents and Young Adults

Adolescents and young adults will participate in a crowdsourcing contest to create digital materials to reduce HIV stigma in order to increase HIV testing. Entries will be judged by a community judging panel and expert judging panel. Winning entries will be selected for the digital intervention and presented to participants in the intervention arm.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institutes of Health (NIH)

  collaborator NIH

• Fogarty International Center of the National Institute of Health

  collaborator NIH

• Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

  collaborator NIH

• Columbia University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Alissa Davis, PhD · Columbia University

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

DIAGNOSTIC

Masking

SINGLE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

16 Years

Max Age

24 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2023-01-24

Primary Completion

2023-08-22

Completion

2023-08-22

Countries

• Kazakhstan

Study Locations