An Assessment of an HIV Prevention Intervention (Project AIM) Among Junior Secondary School Students in Eastern Botswana

HIV Clinical Trial

— AIM  

Official title:

An Assessment of an HIV Prevention Intervention (Project AIM) on Youth Sexual Intentions, Sexual Behaviors and HSV-2 Incidence and Prevalence in Junior Secondary Schools in Eastern Botswana.

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT02455583
• Other study ID #: 6451
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• First received: January 6, 2015
• Last updated: February 12, 2018
• Start date: August 2014
• Est. completion date: September 2017

Study information

• Verified date: July 2017
• Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of an HIV prevention intervention called Project AIM (Adult Identity Mentoring) to delay onset of sexual activity and reduce sexual risk behaviors among students (approximate ages 12- 17 years) in junior secondary schools (Form 1 - 3) in Eastern Botswana.

Description:

Few behavioral intervention models exist that focus on pre-sexually active adolescents in high-prevalence environments. As a result, there is a paucity of scientific research on HIV education models that impact risk factors among pre-sexual adolescents or that address the underlying causes and contextual factors associated with the sexual risk behaviors that leave adolescents vulnerable to HIV infection. Project AIM (Adult Identity Mentoring) is an evidence-based youth development HIV prevention intervention designed for youth ages 11-14 years. The goals of Project AIM are to provide youth with the motivation to enact safe choices and to address social barriers to sexual risk prevention such as hopelessness, peer pressure, and risk opportunities in low income environments. Results of a United States (U.S.)-based behavioral study have demonstrated a positive effect in reducing sexual intentions and increasing sexual abstinence. Project AIM has not previously been evaluated for use in an African context.

The purpose of this 50 site, stratified, cluster, randomized control trial is to examine the efficacy of Project AIM to delay onset of sexual activity and reduce sexual risk behaviors among students (approximate ages 12- 17 years) in junior secondary schools (JSS) in Eastern Botswana.The study will involve enrolling a longitudinal cohort consisting of Form 1 students who will be randomized to either the intervention (Project AIM) or control condition and followed from the start of the Form 1 year to the end of the Form 3 year.

Outcomes will be assessed through participant self-report of sexual risk behavior and HSV-2 testing as a biomarker of self-reported sexual activity. Participants will complete a behavioral survey three times (baseline, 12 months, and 24 months) and HSV-2 testing two times (baseline and 24 months).

Effective implementation of Project AIM as part of the school health curriculum in Botswana would provide an evidence-based, in-school program option to aid and inform HIV prevention efforts for young adolescents across southern Africa. Implementation of the program will also build on existing programmatic efforts and infrastructure and attempt to demonstrate how the addition of an evidence-based, multi-component HIV prevention program will strengthen current youth HIV prevention policies and programming. In addition, rates of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) from the study will provide the region with sexual risk behavior data and HSV-2 prevalence estimates for young adolescents in Eastern Botswana, which can inform public health recommendations as well as national policies for sexual/reproductive health and education among this population.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 4732
• Est. completion date: September 2017
• Est. primary completion date: September 2017
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: N/A and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Currently enrolled in Form 1 at one of the 50 selected schools (longitudinal cohort)

• Fluent and literate in English or Setswana

• Able and willing to provide written informed assent (age 17 or under) or informed consent (age 18 and over)

• Parent/guardian provides permission (if age 17 or under) for child to participate

Exclusion Criteria:

• All youth who meet the inclusion criteria may fully participate in the study. No sub-segments of the population will be excluded from participation. Individual students may be excluded from participation by school or study staff due to circumstances in which participation is deemed to not be in the best interest of the student, such as excessive emotional distress.

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• HIV

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Project AIM (Adult Identity Mentoring)
Project AIM consists of 14 sessions that are delivered twice a week. Each session is 40 minutes long.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Botswana	50 Junior Secondary schools	Multiple Locations	Eastern Botswana

Sponsors (3)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention	Education Development Center, Inc., Ministry of Education and Skills Development, Botswana

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Botswana, 

References & Publications (1)

Clark LF, Miller KS, Nagy SS, Avery J, Roth DL, Liddon N, Mukherjee S. Adult identity mentoring: reducing sexual risk for African-American seventh grade students. J Adolesc Health. 2005 Oct;37(4):337. — View Citation

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Difference in HSV-2 incidence between the intervention and control arm		Baseline and 24 months
Secondary	Self-reported sexual and sexual risk-related behavior measured by sexual initiation, number of sexual partners and frequency of alcohol use, sexual intercourse, and condom use		Longitudinal Cohort: baseline, 12 months, and 24 months
Secondary	Sexual thoughts measured by frequency of thoughts about engaging in sexual activity		Longitudinal Cohort: baseline, 12 months, and 24 months
Secondary	Attitudes towards education and frequency of thoughts and feelings about the future and hopelessness		Longitudinal Cohort: baseline, 12 months, and 24 months
Secondary	Attitudes towards partner concurrency, transactional sex, and sexual risk communication with a partner		Longitudinal Cohort: baseline, 12 months, and 24 months
Secondary	Intention to engage in sexual activity		Longitudinal Cohort:baseline, 12 months, and 24 months