Comparing Perceptions with Actual Reports of Close Friend’s HIV Testing Behavior Among Urban Tanzanian Men

Mulawa, Marta; Yamanis, Thespina J.; Balvanz, Peter; Kajula, Lusajo; Maman, Suzanne

doi:10.1007/s10461-016-1335-8

Cited by 16 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…In fact, other studies in this region have shown that to be true with regard to HIV testing [57]. However, our results highlight the importance of perceived norms and echo calls to correct perceptions when they are incorrect to maximize prevention efforts [57]. Furthermore, qualitative studies from sub-Saharan Africa show that men are more likely to test when they go with a friend or when a friend advises them to test [9, 12].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 50%

“…We know from theory that these perceptions may not match actual norms in that individuals tend to underestimate healthy behaviors in their peers [56]. In fact, other studies in this region have shown that to be true with regard to HIV testing [57]. However, our results highlight the importance of perceived norms and echo calls to correct perceptions when they are incorrect to maximize prevention efforts [57].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 73%

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Social Network Influence on HIV Testing Among Urban Men in Tanzania

et al. 2016

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Men in sub-Saharan Africa have low HIV testing rates. Social networks exert an important influence on men’s HIV-related behavior. We examined associations between network factors and HIV testing among men in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Data are from the baseline assessment of an HIV prevention trial with 48 primarily male networks. Among 923 sexually active men, 52 % had ever tested for HIV. In a random effects logistic regression model, men in the network core were 1.50 times more likely (p <.05) to test than those in the periphery. Percentage of women in the network was associated with men’s increased HIV testing (AOR 4.24, p < .05). Perception of network HIV stigma was negatively associated with HIV testing (AOR 0.92, p <.01). Thinking at least one close friend tested for HIV was associated with increased testing (AOR 2.66, p < .001). Social network interventions are a promising approach for scaling up men’s HIV testing.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 50%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 73%

Social Network Influence on HIV Testing Among Urban Men in Tanzania

et al. 2016

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“…We used a cluster design because we were interested in evaluating an intervention delivered within social networks [22]. Camp-based social networks serve as important socialization environments for men, propagating norms that are associated with men's sexual partner concurrency [23], IPV perpetration [24,25], as well as HIV testing [26,27].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The fact that men in camps engaged in the intervention and we were able to follow up with them over time suggests that camp-based networks are viable targets for interventions. The data we collected on these social networks provided us with important insight on how young men's social networks influence their HIV risk behaviors [25][26][27] and IPV [17].…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

Results from a cluster-randomized trial to evaluate a microfinance and peer health leadership intervention to prevent HIV and intimate partner violence among social networks of Tanzanian men

et al. 2020

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Despite calls to engage men in HIV and intimate partner violence (IPV) prevention efforts, effective approaches to reach and engage men in low-resource, high-HIV prevalence settings are limited. We identified and engaged social networks of mostly young men in a study designed to evaluate the efficacy of a combined microfinance and peer health leadership intervention to prevent HIV and IPV. We conducted a cluster-randomized trial among 60 social networks locally referred to as "camps" within Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Camps were randomly assigned (1:1) to a microfinance and peer health leadership intervention or a control condition that received a brief delayed intervention after the study's conclusion. Allocation was not masked to participants or researchers. Behavioral assessments were conducted at baseline and 30-months post-intervention launch, with biological samples drawn at 30-months to test for sexually-transmitted infections (STIs). Primary outcomes included prevalence of STIs and past-year IPV perpetration. Secondary outcomes included STI sexual risk behaviors and past-year HIV testing. Proximal intervention targets included inequitable gender norm attitudes and hope. A modified Poisson regression approach was used to estimate intention-to-treat intervention effects on outcomes assessed at the 30month follow-up. We enrolled 1,258 men within 60 camps. Of these men, 1,029 (81.8%) completed the 30-month follow-up. There were no differences by condition in STI prevalence, IPV perpetration, or sexual risk behaviors at the 30-month follow-up. Intervention participants reported greater levels of past-year HIV testing, controlling for baseline testing (aRR 1.13 95% CI 1.005-1.28). They also reported significantly lower levels of inequitable gender norm attitudes (adjusted effect-0.11, 95% CI-0.21-0.003). We successfully engaged and retained social networks of men in this multilevel intervention study. While we

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“…For example, researchers have demonstrated the association of social network-level factors (e.g. network size, structure, composition, and norms) with HIV testing (1, 2), injecting drug use (3, 4), intimate partner violence (5, 6), as well as risky sexual behaviors (7–9). Engaging social networks in HIV prevention interventions, therefore, provides an opportunity to target these network-level factors by leveraging the peer influence processes underpinning associations between network-level determinants and the HIV-related behaviors of network members (10).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Structural Network Position and Performance of Health Leaders Within an HIV Prevention Trial

et al. 2018

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The effectiveness of peer leaders in promoting health may depend on the position they occupy within their social networks. Using sociocentric (whole network) and behavioral data from the intervention arm of a cluster-randomized HIV prevention trial in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, we used generalized linear models with standardized predictors to examine the association between heath leaders' baseline structural network position (i.e., in-degree and betweenness centrality) and their 12-month self-reported (1) confidence in educating network members about HIV and gender-based violence (GBV) and (2) number of past-week conversations about HIV and GBV. As in-degree centrality increased, leaders reported fewer HIV-related conversations. As betweenness centrality increased, leaders reported greater number of conversations about GBV. Network position was not significantly associated with confidence in discussing either topic. Our results suggest that peer leaders who occupy spaces between sub-groups of network members may be more effective in engaging their peers in sensitive or controversial topics like GBV than more popular peer leaders.

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Comparing Perceptions with Actual Reports of Close Friend’s HIV Testing Behavior Among Urban Tanzanian Men

Cited by 16 publications

References 37 publications

Social Network Influence on HIV Testing Among Urban Men in Tanzania

Social Network Influence on HIV Testing Among Urban Men in Tanzania

Results from a cluster-randomized trial to evaluate a microfinance and peer health leadership intervention to prevent HIV and intimate partner violence among social networks of Tanzanian men

Structural Network Position and Performance of Health Leaders Within an HIV Prevention Trial

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