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Human Immunodeficiency VirusNCT04531605

Optimizing Retention in Care and Adherence to Anti-retroviral Therapy Amongst Adolescents Living With HIV in Rwanda

A study testing YBank program in people with Human Immunodeficiency Virus, run by Youth Development Labs, Inc dba YLabs.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

HIV has now become the leading cause of death amongst adolescents in Africa with over 2.1 million adolescents (aged 10-19 years old) living with HIV today. Poor adherence to anti-retroviral therapy (ART) leads to suppressed immune function, treatment failure, increased morbidity and mortality with significant costs to… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 12 to 19 years
Conditions the study is for
Human Immunodeficiency Virus
What is being tested?
YBank program
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
72 participants
Where
No sites listed yet
Study dates
1 Oct 2016to 1 Feb 2017
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 12 to 19 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child, Adult

Who may be able to join

  • HIV-positive adolescents 12 to 19-years-old who are aware of their HIV-positive serostatus
  • Prescribed anti-retroviral therapy for more than 1 year
  • Has given informed consent with full capacity to study participation (plus parent/guardian consent as all participants will be under 21 years)
  • Enrolled in care at one of the study site

Who cannot join

  • HIV-negative
  • HIV-positive but not prescribed ART or on ART for less than 1 year
  • Not enrolled in care at the HIV clinic; younger than 12 years and older than 19 years
  • No parent or named guardian who is over the age of 19 years

About this study

Official title: Feasibility and Acceptability of an Intervention to Optimize Retention in Care and Adherence to Anti-retroviral Therapy Amongst Adolescents Living With HIV in Rwanda

HIV has now become the leading cause of death amongst adolescents in Africa with over 2.1 million adolescents (aged 10-19 years old) living with HIV today. Poor adherence to anti-retroviral therapy (ART) leads to suppressed immune function, treatment failure, increased morbidity and mortality with significant costs to households and health systems.

The investigators aim to undertake a feasibility study of an intervention targeting adolescents living with HIV in Rwanda built on two components.

  1. Life-skills training: Adolescents receive training on economic empowerment, financial literacy, healthy relationships and adherence during the peer group sessions.
  2. Financial incentives: Combined short-term and long-term incentives for clinic attendance and suppressed viral load that will be delivered through mobile banking.
Read the detailed description

HIV has now become the leading cause of death amongst adolescents in Africa with over 2.1 million adolescents (aged 10-19 years old) living with HIV today. Increased mortality amongst HIV-infected adolescents is primarily caused by poor adherence to anti-retroviral therapy (ART). Adherence to ART is critical to suppress HIV viral load, sustain immune function, and avoid opportunistic infections and death. Poor adherence leads to suppressed immune function, treatment failure, increased morbidity and mortality with significant costs to households and health systems. In our clinic population in Rwanda, 29% of 12-19 years olds have a non-suppressed viral load due to poor adherence. These findings have been reflected in studies throughout the US, Europe and sub-Saharan Africa.

The evidence base for effective adherence interventions that successfully address the multiple barriers to adherence is very limited. Conditional cash transfers have shown promise as a potential strategy. The investigators aim to undertake a feasibility study of an intervention targeting adolescents living with HIV in Rwanda built on two components.

  1. Life-skills training: Adolescents receive training on economic empowerment, financial literacy, healthy relationships and adherence during the peer group sessions.
  2. Financial incentives: Combined short-term and long-term incentives for clinic attendance and suppressed viral load that will be delivered through mobile banking. On admission to the program adolescents are provided with a bank account. The rewards delivered to the adolescent are divided into a long-term and short term component. The long-term incentive accrues and can only be accessed on graduation from the program. The short-term component can be accessed immediately.

The aim of this preliminary study is not to assess for efficacy of the intervention (virological suppression and clinic attendance). This preliminary study aims to assess the feasibility of the program and data collection strategy in preparation for a large scale multi-center evaluation.

Being tested
YBank program
Medical subject headings
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • YBank programBehavioural

    Adolescents participated in a 12-week peer-led life skills trainings at clinics and received financial incentives via mobile money upon clinic attendance and demonstration of suppressed viral load.

Study groups in NCT04531605
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
InterventionExperimental12-week program of combined life-skills training and financial incentives (YBank program) described in more detail below. 1. Life-skills training: Every 4 weeks through the 12 week program, life-skills training sessions will be delivered during peer-group sessions at the clinic. Topics include economic empowerment, financial literacy, healthy relationships, and anti-retroviral therapy (ART) adherence. 2. Financial incentives: The incentives program combines an immediate financial reward with a long-term savings opportunity. For clinic attendance, 500 RWF (~$0.50) will be deposited into participants' mobile money short-term account, where funds will be immediately accessible, and 1500 RWF (~$1.50) will be deposited into their savings account upon completing the program. If participants demonstrate a suppressed viral load at a clinic appointment, an additional 1000 RWF (~$1) will be deposited to their short-term account and 3000 RWF (~$3) into their saving account.
Receives: Behavioral: YBank program

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Experiences and views of adolescents, caregivers of participants, and health care professionals caring for participants of receiving the YBank intervention

    Semi-structured interviews will be conducted with adolescents, caregivers and two health workers randomly selected from each site during and directly following the 12-week intervention period. Themes to be explored in the interviews include experiences with receiving incentives and attending trainings, the impact of the intervention on caregivers and adolescents, and how the incentives will be spent. Face-to-face interviews will be conducted in Kinyarwanda or French by trained interviewers.

    Measured: 3 months

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted28 Aug 2020
  2. Study start1 Oct 2016
  3. Primary completion31 Dec 2016
  4. Study completion1 Feb 2017

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Supportive care
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
72 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT04531605
Sponsor's protocol ID
001
Status last verified
Aug 2020
First submitted
21 Aug 2020
Last updated
28 Aug 2020
Results posted
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing YBank program in people with Human Immunodeficiency Virus, run by Youth Development Labs, Inc dba YLabs.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 28 Aug 2020. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Experiences and views of adolescents, caregivers of participants, and health care professionals caring for participants of receiving the YBank intervention (time frame: 3 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 28 Aug 2020.

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