HIV, HIV Infections
Conditions
Keywords
ASPIRES
Brief summary
This study evaluates whether the integration of an Economic Strengthening program with an HIV-prevention education program produce synergistic effects on economic and health outcomes for South African youth ages 14-17 years old.
Detailed description
In South Africa, the overall HIV prevalence of 12.2% can be reviewed based on a number of factors: age, province, type of locality, race, economic household conditions, and marital status. Those to be reached through the ASPIRES intervention and evaluation are economically disadvantaged Black African youth, male and female, located in urban localities in Gauteng province, and are situated within a setting of high risk and vulnerability for HIV. The ASPIRES project is providing technical assistance to provide economic strengthening (ES) and HIV prevention education programming for adolescents. The ASPIRES ES intervention includes financial capability building through the provision of financial education in combination with access to appropriate youth-friendly savings mechanisms. The HIV prevention education intervention Vhutshilo 2.2 will be used in this study. This study will assess whether the integration of an ES intervention with an HIV-prevention education intervention improves economic and health outcomes beyond singular interventions, estimate the resources required at the program level to support the ES and HIV-prevention education interventions; and describe whether the interventions were perceived as effective in addressing economic and health outcomes and to describe how and why the interventions were perceived as effective or not. This study will enroll up to 2000 youth ages 14-17 and randomly assign them to either 1) ES intervention only, 2) HIV prevention intervention only, 3) combined ES and HIV intervention, or 4) no intervention.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALEconomic Strengthening (Impumelelo)
Economic Strengthening (Impumelelo): This intervention consists of 15 one-hour long sessions on financial education in combination with access to appropriate youth-friendly savings mechanisms.
BEHAVIORALHIV Prevention Education (Vhutshilo 2.2)
HIV Prevention Education (Vhutshilo 2.2): This intervention consists of 15 one-hour long sessions that are interactive, skills focused, and cover such topics as expressing one's feelings; dealing with loss and grief; decision-making; coping; gender violence; understanding HIV and other sexually transmitted infections; healthy relationships and staying safe in sexual relationships; and contraception and risks associated with unplanned pregnancy.
Sponsors
Foundation for Professional Development
Future Families
FHI 360
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
FACTORIAL
Primary purpose
OTHER
Masking
DOUBLE (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
14 Years to 17 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Beneficiary of Future Families in a study community * Parent or guardian consent allowing adolescent to participate in the study * Willing to sign or make their mark on an assent form * Willing to provide contact information * Only one adolescent is eligible per household
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| STI prevalence Endline 1 | Nine months after baseline interview | Prevalence of gonorrhea, trichomoniasis or chlamydia infection (lab report) |
| STI prevalence Endline 2 | eighteen months after baseline interview | Prevalence of gonorrhea, trichomoniasis or chlamydia infection (lab report) |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Percent of adolescents opening savings account Endline 2 | eighteen months after baseline interview | Percent of adolescents opening savings account (self report) |
| Prevalence of pregnancy Endline 1 | Nine months after baseline interview | Prevalence of pregnancy among female participants (lab report) |
| Prevalence of pregnancy Endline 2 | eighteen months after baseline interview | Prevalence of pregnancy among female participants (lab report) |
| Percent of adolescents engaging in protective sexual behavior Endline 1 | In the 6 month time period prior to the date of the follow up visit | Percent of adolescents engaging in protective sexual behavior, defined as self-reported abstinence or consistent condom use (a condom used every time) over the past 6 months |
| Percent of adolescents engaging in protective sexual behavior Endline 2 | In the 6 month time period prior to the date of the follow up visit | Percent of adolescents engaging in protective sexual behavior, defined as self-reported abstinence or consistent condom use (a condom used every time) over the past 6 months |
| Percent of adolescents engaging in transactional sex in past 6 months Endline 1 | In the 6 months prior to the date of the follow up visit | self-reported |
| Percent of adolescents engaging in transactional sex in past 6 months Endline 2 | In the 6 months prior to the date of the follow up visit | self-reported |
| Mean total amount of savings in past 1 year Endline 1 | In the one year prior to the date of the 9 month follow up visit | Mean total amount of savings starting from prior to enrollment in the study up to 9 months of participation in the study |
| Mean total amount of savings in past 1 year Endline 2 | In the one year prior to the date of the 18 month follow up visit | Mean total amount of savings in past 1 year reported by adolescents (self report) |
| Percent of adolescents reporting two or more sexual partners in the past 6 months Endline 1 | In the 6 months prior to the date of the follow up visit | self-reported |
| Percent of adolescents reporting two or more sexual partners in the past 6 months Endline 2 | In the 6 months prior to the date of the follow up visit | self-reported |
| Percent of adolescents participating in savings group Endline 2 | eighteen months after baseline interview | Percent of adolescents participating in savings group (self report) |
| Mean HIV knowledge score Endline 2 | Eighteen months after baseline interview | HIV knowledge score calculated based on the answers to survey questions |
| Mean financial literacy score Endline 1 | Nine months after baseline interview | Financial literacy score calculated based on the answers to survey questions |
| Mean financial literacy score Endline 2 | eighteen months after baseline interview | Financial literacy score calculated based on the answers to survey questions |
| Percent of adolescents participating in savings group Endline 1 | Nine months after baseline interview | Percent of adolescents participating in savings group (self report) |
| Percent of adolescents saving for education Endline 1 | Nine months after baseline interview | Percent of adolescents saving for education (self report) |
| Percent of adolescents saving for education Endline 2 | eighteen months after baseline interview | Percent of adolescents saving for education (self report) |
| Percent of adolescents whose caregiver provided money for savings Endline 1 | Nine months after baseline interview | Percent of adolescents whose caregiver provided money for savings (self report) |
| Percent of adolescents whose caregiver provided money for savings Endline 2 | eighteen months after baseline interview | Percent of adolescents whose caregiver provided money for savings (self report) |
| Percent of adolescents who participate in household budgeting Endline 1 | Nine months after baseline interview | Percent of adolescents who participate in household budgeting (self report) |
| Percent of adolescents who participate in household budgeting Endline 2 | eighteen months after baseline interview | Percent of adolescents who participate in household budgeting (self report) |
| Mean HIV knowledge score Endline 1 | Nine months after baseline interview | HIV knowledge score calculated based on the answers to survey questions |
| Percent of adolescents opening savings account Endline 1 | Nine months after baseline interview | Percent of adolescents opening savings account (self report) |
Countries
South Africa
Outcome results
None listed