Journal Article

Stakeholder acceptability of the risk reduction behavioural model RRBM as an alternative model for adolescent HIV risk reduction and sexual behavior change in Northern Malawi

Mwale, Marisen, Muula, Adamson S.

2021

Overview

We sought to assess stakeholder acceptability of a risk reduction behavioural model [RRBM] designed for adolescent HIV risk reduction and whose efficacy we tested in selected schools in Northern Malawi. We used qualitative procedures in sampling, data collection and data analysis. Our data collection instrument was the semi-structured interview and we applied thematic content analysis to establish stakeholder evaluations of the RRBM model. The study population included10 experts working within key organizations and teachers from two schools. The organizations were sampled as providers, implementers and designers of interventions while schools were sampled as providers and consumers of interventions. Individual study participants were recruited purposively through snowball sampling. Results showed consensus among participants on the acceptability, potential for scale up and likelihood of model sustainability if implemented. In essence areas to consider improving and modifying included: focus on the rural girl child and inclusion of an economic empowerment component to target the underlying root causes of HIV risk taking behavior. Stakeholders also recommended intervention extension to out of school adolescent groups as well as involvement of traditional leaders. Involvement of parents and religious leaders in intervention scale up was also highlighted. The study serves as a benchmark for stakeholder involvement in model and intervention evaluation and as a link between researchers and project implementers, designers as well as policy makers to bridge the research to policy and practice gap.

• Publisher: Public Library of Science,Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subject: Acceptability / Acquired immune deficiency syndrome / Adolescent / Adolescent Behavior - psychology / Adolescents / AIDS / Biology and Life Sciences / Computer and Information Sciences / Content analysis / Data analysis / Data collection / Design / Designers / Disease prevention / Education / Empowerment / Evaluation / Female / Health aspects / Health risks / Health sciences / HIV / HIV infection / HIV Infections - epidemiology / HIV Infections - prevention & control / Human immunodeficiency virus / Humans / Infections / Intervention / Interviews / Malawi - epidemiology / Male / Medical research / Medicine / Medicine and Health Sciences / Modelling / Organizations / People and Places / Population / Population studies / Prevention / Public health / Qualitative analysis / Reproductive health / Risk assessment / Risk factors / Risk management / Risk reduction / Risk Reduction Behavior / Risk taking / Rural areas / Sampling / Scaling up / Schools / Sexual Behavior / Sexually transmitted diseases / Social Sciences / Stakeholder Participation / Stakeholders / STD / Sustainability / Teenagers / Youth