HIV/AIDS Mental and Behavioural Disorders Pregnancy and Childbirth
Conditions
Interventions
Smartphone application
Control application
Sponsors
North West University
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
Female
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: Inclusion criteria will be pregnant women who: • Are between the ages of 18 and 34 years because women under 17 and over 35 years are classified as high-risk patients (Dunkin, 2024); • Diagnosed with HIV no longer than six months before she became pregnant; • Low-risk midwife patient with singleton pregnancy; • Gestation less than or equal to 26 weeks (to ensure sufficient time for the effectiveness of the app); • Willing to participate until six weeks after giving birth; • Own a smartphone and know how to access and use the internet; • Smartphone compatible with the application programme; • Has passed grade seven English to enable them to understand the application; • Able to understand the process of randomisation; • Able to give written informed consent; • Contactable cellular telephone number.
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: Participants who meet the inclusion criteria but have a further condition or characteristic may still be excluded. A condition or characteristic that will render the study ineffective or the participant vulnerable is an exclusion criterion (Garg, 2016:642). • Women already participating in another study. • Women prescribed any psychiatric or other chronic medication other than ARVs.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| The primary outcome of this study is that a personified tailor-made smartphone application that includes a palliative care support programme will decrease postnatal depression as measured with a score of <10 on the EPDS at six weeks postnatal in women recently diagnosed with HIV. | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Additional outcomes that will be measured are whether an ESPA can: • Accelerate psychosocial integration and acceptance of recently diagnosed HIV by pregnant women as measured by an adapted African Palliative Care Association Palliative Outcome Scale (APCA POS) (African Palliative Care Association [APCA], 2011:20) with a score of 90%) and viral load (of <50 copies per millilitre) tested within 72 hours of giving birth (Nevrekar et al., 2023:79; NDoH, 2023:9). | — |
Countries
South Africa
Contacts
Public ContactHelen Bunt
Nursing lecturer University of Fort Hare
Outcome results
None listed