Community-Based Peer Facilitator Intervention (Zimbabwe)

Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation

Status: Completed

Conditions: HIV-infection/Aids

Treatments: Behavioral: Peer-facilitated community support group

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02496793

MRCZ/A/1651 (Other Identifier)

EG0090

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this community randomized operations research study was to evaluate the effect of a peer-facilitated community support group intervention on uptake of maternal and neonatal child health (MNCH) and PMTCT services and on adherence outcomes in Zimbabwe.

Full description

To increase uptake of, and retention within maternal and child health/prevention of maternal-to-child HIV transmission (MCH/PMTCT) services, the investigators conducted a community-based peer facilitator intervention study in Hurungwe District of Zimbabwe. Using a paired community randomized design, 16 health facility-linked communities were randomly allocated to the intervention or control condition, with a total of approximately 1,600 pregnant and lactating women, (100 women in each community), recruited into the study. In the intervention communities, 24 trained peer facilitators (3 in each community) using participatory educational approaches were encouraging women to form antenatal and post-natal groups, and to utilize and adhere to MCH/PMTCT services and recommendations.

Peer facilitators, by the definition of this project, were women from the community who were peers to pregnant and lactating women; who had recently been through the process themselves and could speak to their experience. A key activity of the community-based peer facilitators was the encouragement of the formation of women into groups, and the participation of these women into antenatal care (ANC), prevention of maternal to child transmission (PMTCT), and postnatal care (PNC) programs. The group process was enable solidarity and support among the women at the vulnerable times of pregnancy and lactation.

Enrollment: 1,600 patients

Sex: Female

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Pregnant and breastfeeding women who were 18 years of age and above, regardless of HIV status, were eligible to participate in support groups.

Exclusion criteria

• Women less than 18 years and those who were mentally ill were excluded as they could not give informed consent.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Health Services Research

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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1,600 participants in 2 patient groups

Peer Facilitator and Support Group

Experimental group

Description:

Peer-facilitated community support group is the experimental intervention. The intervention tested in this study involved using trained peer facilitators to create demand for and retention within the ANC/PMTCT program.The peer facilitators were volunteer women from the community, who had recently been through the ANC process themselves and could speak about their experience(s). the support group meetings was to develop skills and generate self-efficacy for the women to be able to take actions such as routine antenatal and postnatal clinic attendance using participatory learning techniques. The peer facilitators were provided with job aids which outlined key points for the various educational sessions.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Peer-facilitated community support group

Standard Care

No Intervention group

Description:

ANC/PMTCT activities as per standard of care in Zimbabwe