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Nelson KA, Magut F, Mulwa S, Osindo J, Kamire V, Khagayi S, Pulerwitz J, Cook S, Gourlay A, Ziraba A, Kwaro D, Floyd S, Birdthistle I. Impact of DREAMS interventions on attitudes towards gender norms among adolescent girls and young women: Findings from a prospective cohort in Kenya. PLOS GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH 2024; 4:e0002929. [PMID: 38446820 PMCID: PMC10917282 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0002929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
The DREAMS partnership aims to deliver a comprehensive package to reduce HIV incidence among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW), including through shifting gender norms. We evaluate DREAMS' effect on attitudes towards gender norms in two Kenyan settings. AGYW aged 15-22 in Nairobi (n = 852) and Gem (n = 761) were randomly selected for cohort enrolment in 2017-18 and followed-up to 2019. We described the proportion of AGYW and their male peers with equitable attitudes towards gender norms, using an adapted version of the GEM scale. We estimated the association between self-reported invitation to DREAMS (in 2017-18) and AGYW's attitudes towards two dimensions of gender norms, and then applied a causal inference framework to estimate the difference in the proportion of AGYW with equitable attitudes under the counterfactual scenarios that all versus none were DREAMS beneficiaries. We estimated that overall, 90.2% versus 87.1% of AGYW would have equitable norms around sexual and reproductive health decision-making in Nairobi if all versus none were DREAMS beneficiaries (+3.1; 95%CI:-2.5, +9.0). In Gem, we estimated a risk difference of +1.0 (89.6% vs 88.6%, 95%CI: -3.6,+5.6). There was no evidence for an effect of DREAMS on attitudes towards violence-related norms (Nairobi: 82.7% vs 82.2%, +0.5; 95%CI: -5.3,+6.5; Gem: 44.3% vs 48.2%, -3.9; 95%CI: -11.7,+3.0). We found no evidence of an impact of DREAMS invitation on individual attitudes towards gender norms. In some cases, equitable attitudes at enrolment left limited scope for improvement, and additional effort may be required to shift inequitable violence attitudes among both AGYW and their male peers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate Andrews Nelson
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Faith Magut
- Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kisumu, Kenya
| | - Sarah Mulwa
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- African Population and Health Research Center, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Jane Osindo
- African Population and Health Research Center, Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | | | - Julie Pulerwitz
- Population Council, Washington, D.C., United States of America
| | - Sarah Cook
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Annabelle Gourlay
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Abdhalah Ziraba
- African Population and Health Research Center, Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | - Sian Floyd
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Isolde Birdthistle
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
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Johnson LF, Kubjane M, de Voux A, Ohrnberger J, Tlali M. An agent-based model of binge drinking, inequitable gender norms and their contribution to HIV transmission, with application to South Africa. BMC Infect Dis 2023; 23:500. [PMID: 37516819 PMCID: PMC10385913 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-023-08470-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Binge drinking, inequitable gender norms and sexual risk behaviour are closely interlinked. This study aims to model the potential effect of alcohol counselling interventions (in men and women) and gender-transformative interventions (in men) as strategies to reduce HIV transmission. METHODS We developed an agent-based model of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, allowing for effects of binge drinking on sexual risk behaviour, and effects of inequitable gender norms (in men) on sexual risk behaviour and binge drinking. The model was applied to South Africa and was calibrated using data from randomized controlled trials of alcohol counselling interventions (n = 9) and gender-transformative interventions (n = 4) in sub-Saharan Africa. The model was also calibrated to South African data on alcohol consumption and acceptance of inequitable gender norms. Binge drinking was defined as five or more drinks on a single day, in the last month. RESULTS Binge drinking is estimated to be highly prevalent in South Africa (54% in men and 35% in women, in 2021), and over the 2000-2021 period 54% (95% CI: 34-74%) of new HIV infections occurred in binge drinkers. Binge drinking accounted for 6.8% of new HIV infections (0.0-32.1%) over the same period, which was mediated mainly by an effect of binge drinking in women on engaging in casual sex. Inequitable gender norms accounted for 17.5% of incident HIV infections (0.0-68.3%), which was mediated mainly by an effect of inequitable gender norms on male partner concurrency. A multi-session alcohol counselling intervention that reaches all binge drinkers would reduce HIV incidence by 1.2% (0.0-2.5%) over a 5-year period, while a community-based gender-transformative intervention would reduce incidence by 3.2% (0.8-7.2%) or by 7.3% (0.6-21.2%) if there was no waning of intervention impact. CONCLUSIONS Although binge drinking and inequitable gender norms contribute substantially to HIV transmission in South Africa, recently-trialled alcohol counselling and gender-transformative interventions are likely to have only modest effects on HIV incidence. Further innovation in developing locally-relevant interventions to address binge drinking and inequitable gender norms is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leigh F Johnson
- Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Cape Town, 7925, Observatory, South Africa.
| | - Mmamapudi Kubjane
- Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Cape Town, 7925, Observatory, South Africa
| | - Alex de Voux
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Julius Ohrnberger
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Mpho Tlali
- Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Cape Town, 7925, Observatory, South Africa
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Gage AJ, Wood FE, Kittoe D, Murthy P, Gay R. Association of Male Partners' Gender-Equitable Attitudes and Behaviors with Young Mothers' Postpartum Family Planning and Maternal Health Outcomes in Kinshasa, DRC. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:12182. [PMID: 36231485 PMCID: PMC9565980 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191912182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Inequitable gender norms can contribute to rapid repeat pregnancies and adverse maternal health outcomes among adolescent girls and young women. This study examined associations between male partners' gender-equitable attitudes and behaviors and postpartum family planning (FP) and maternal and newborn health (MNH) outcomes among first-time mothers aged 15-24 in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Participants were 1335 couples who were successfully interviewed in the Momentum project's 2018 baseline and 2020 endline surveys. Multivariable regression models were used to analyze predictors of postpartum FP discussion and use, shared MNH decision making, completion of the maternal health continuum of care, and exclusive breastfeeding. Male involvement in maternal health was significantly associated with FP discussion and shared decision making. Male partners' willingness to be involved in routine childcare and shared decision making were significant positive predictors of exclusive breastfeeding. Postpartum FP outcomes were shaped by the intersection of marital status and male partners' gender-equitable attitudes, intimate partner violence perpetration, and willingness to engage in routine childcare activities to constitute advantage for some outcomes and disadvantage for others. Interventions must use multiple measures to better understand how young mothers' health outcomes are shaped by their male partners' gender-related attitudes and behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia J. Gage
- School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Francine E. Wood
- Center on Gender Equity and Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Darling Kittoe
- School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Preethi Murthy
- School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Rianne Gay
- Tulane International LLC, Ngaliema, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
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Wesson PD, Lippman SA, Neilands TB, Ahern J, Kahn K, Pettifor A. Evaluating the Validity and Reliability of the Gender Equitable Men's Scale Using a Longitudinal Cohort of Adolescent Girls and Young Women in South Africa. AIDS Behav 2022; 26:775-785. [PMID: 34426864 PMCID: PMC8840910 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-021-03436-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Inequitable gender norms and beliefs contribute to increased sexual risk behavior, and, among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW), risk of HIV acquisition. We investigated the longitudinal measurement properties of the Gender Equitable Men's Scale (GEMS) when applied to a cohort of AGYW in rural South Africa (2011-2015). We used item response theory [Person-Item maps, Differential Item Functioning (DIF)] and measurement invariance confirmatory factor analysis models to assess the validity and reliability of the GEMS instrument. Item difficulty and endorsement of gender equitable beliefs both shifted over time. DIF analysis identified item bias for over half of the items; influenced by age, pregnancy, sexual debut, and intimate partner violence. Measurement invariance models revealed strong longitudinal invariance properties. GEMS is a reliable longitudinal measurement of gender equitable beliefs, with notable bias for specific items when administered to subgroups. Additional items specific to the adolescent experience are warranted for a more stable assessment of gender equitable beliefs in a population facing shifting norms as they mature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul D. Wesson
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, 550 16th St., 3rd Floor, UCSF Box 0886, San Francisco, CA 94143 USA
| | - Sheri A. Lippman
- Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, University of California, San Francisco, 550 16th St., 3rd Floor, San Francisco, CA USA
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Torsten B. Neilands
- Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, University of California, San Francisco, 550 16th St., 3rd Floor, San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Jennifer Ahern
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA USA
| | - Kathleen Kahn
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Audrey Pettifor
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA
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Donenberg GR, Atujuna M, Merrill KG, Emerson E, Ndwayana S, Blachman-Demner D, Bekker LG. An individually randomized controlled trial of a mother-daughter HIV/STI prevention program for adolescent girls and young women in South Africa: IMARA-SA study protocol. BMC Public Health 2021; 21:1708. [PMID: 34544403 PMCID: PMC8454166 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-11727-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND South Africa has the world's largest HIV epidemic, but South African adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) acquire HIV at twice the rate of and seroconvert on average 5-7 years earlier than their male peers. Female caregivers (FC) are an untapped resource for HIV/STI prevention in South Africa and offer a novel opportunity to strengthen AGYW prevention efforts. This study will evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of an evidence-based mother-daughter HIV/STI prevention program tested in the United States and adapted for South Africa, Informed Motivated Aware and Responsible Adolescents and Adults (IMARA), to decrease STI incident infections and increase HIV testing and counseling (HTC) and PrEP uptake in AGYW. METHODS This is a 2-arm individually randomized controlled trial comparing IMARA to a family-based control program matched in time and intensity with 525 15-19-year-old Black South African AGYW and their FC-dyads in Cape Town's informal communities. AGYW will complete baseline, 6-, and 12-month assessments. Following randomization, AGYW-FC dyads will participate in a 2-day group workshop (total 10 h) that includes joint and separate mother and daughter activities. Primary outcomes are AGYW STI incidence, HTC uptake, and PrEP uptake at 6 months. Secondary outcomes are AGYW STI incidence, HTC uptake, and PrEP uptake at 12 months, sexual behavior (e.g., condom use, number of partners), HIV incidence, and ART/PrEP adherence and intervention cost-effectiveness. AGYW who test positive for a STI will receive free treatment at the study site. HIV positive participants will be referred to ART clinics. DISCUSSION Primary prevention remains the most viable strategy to stem new STI and HIV transmissions. HIV and STI disparities go beyond individual level factors, and prevention packages that include supportive relationships (e.g., FC) may produce greater reductions in HIV-risk, improve HTC and PrEP uptake, and increase linkage, retention, and adherence to care. Reducing new HIV and STI infections among South African AGYW is global public health priority. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Number NCT04758390 , accepted 02/16/2021.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geri R Donenberg
- Center for Dissemination and Implementation Science, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, 818 S. Wolcott, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
| | | | - Katherine G Merrill
- Center for Dissemination and Implementation Science, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, 818 S. Wolcott, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Erin Emerson
- Center for Dissemination and Implementation Science, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, 818 S. Wolcott, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | | | - Dara Blachman-Demner
- Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Mathur S, Pilgrim N, Patel SK, Okal J, Mwapasa V, Chipeta E, Musheke M, Mahapatra B, Pulerwitz J. HIV vulnerability among adolescent girls and young women: a multi-country latent class analysis approach. Int J Public Health 2020; 65:399-411. [PMID: 32270233 PMCID: PMC7274997 DOI: 10.1007/s00038-020-01350-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Revised: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To stem the HIV epidemic among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW, 15-24 years), prevention programs need to reach AGYW who are most at risk. We examine whether individual- and household-level factors could be used to define HIV vulnerability for AGYW. METHODS We surveyed out-of-school AGYW in urban and peri-urban Kenya (N = 1014), in urban Zambia (N = 846), and in rural Malawi (N = 1654) from October 2016 to 2017. LCA identified classes based on respondent characteristics, attitudes and knowledge, and household characteristics. Multilevel regressions examined associations between class membership and HIV-related health outcomes. RESULTS We identified two latent classes-high and low HIV vulnerability profiles-among AGYW in each country; 32% of the sample in Kenya, 53% in Malawi, and 51% in Zambia belonged to the high vulnerability group. As compared to AGYW with a low-vulnerability profile, AGYW with a high-vulnerability profile had significantly higher odds of HIV-related outcomes (e.g., very early sexual debut, transactional sex, sexual violence from partners). CONCLUSIONS Out-of-school AGYW had differential vulnerability to HIV. Interventions should focus on reaching AGYW in the high HIV vulnerability profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanyukta Mathur
- Population Council, 4301 Connecticut Ave, Suite 280, Washington, DC USA
| | | | | | | | - Victor Mwapasa
- Centre for Reproductive Health, College of Medicine, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Effie Chipeta
- Centre for Reproductive Health, College of Medicine, Blantyre, Malawi
| | | | | | - Julie Pulerwitz
- Population Council, 4301 Connecticut Ave, Suite 280, Washington, DC USA
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