Connecting Youth and Young Adults to Optimize Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence (YouTHrive): Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

Developing and testing a web-based platform for antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence support among adolescents and young adults (AYA) living with HIV

Objective

Describe the development and testing of a web-based platform for antiretroviral treatment (ART) adherence support among HIV+ adolescents and young adults (AYA) in a randomized controlled trial (RCT).

Methods

A seven-member multi-disciplinary team operationalized the flat, password protected, web-based platform. Manualized protocols guided the objectives and content for each of the eight web-based sessions. Team members evaluated usability and content validity. Client satisfaction and perceived ease of use was evaluated with the first ten HIV+ AYA participants.

Results

The web-based platform was developed, evaluated, refined, implemented and pilot tested between September 2020 to April 2022. Usability was rated as high; the evaluation of content validity showed an excellent fit between session content and objectives. HIV+ AYA participants (mean age = 24.2 years) were satisfied with the quality, type, and amount of support/education received, and found the platform easy to use, operate, and navigate. Average time spent per session was 6.5 min.

Conclusion

Findings support the usability, validity, acceptability, and feasibility of this web-based platform for ART adherence support among HIV+ AYA.

Innovation

Our research and findings are responsive to research gaps and the need for transparency in the methodological development and testing of web-based control arms for ART adherence support among HIV+ AYA.

Syndemic Psychosocial Conditions among Youth Living with HIV: a Latent Class Analysis

Drug use, mental distress, and other psychosocial factors threaten HIV care for youth living with HIV (YLWH). We aimed to identify syndemic psychosocial patterns among YLWH and examine how such patterns shape HIV outcomes. Using baseline data from 208 YLWH enrolled in an HIV treatment adherence intervention, we performed latent class analysis on dichotomized responses to 9 psychosocial indicators (enacted HIV stigma; clinical depression and anxiety; alcohol, marijuana, and illicit drug misuse; food and housing insecurity; legal history). We used multinomial logistic regression to assess latent class-demographic associations and the automatic Bolck-Croon-Hagenaars method to assess HIV outcomes by class. Mean age of participants was 21 years; two thirds identified as cis male, 60% were non-Hispanic Black, and half identified as gay. Three classes emerged: "Polydrug-Socioeconomic Syndemic" (n = 29; 13.9%), "Distress-Socioeconomic Syndemic" (n = 35, 17.1%), and "Syndemic-free" (n = 142, 69.0%). Older, unemployed non-students were overrepresented in the "Polydrug-Socioeconomic Syndemic" class. Missed/no HIV care appointments was significantly higher in the "Polydrug-Socioeconomic Syndemic" class (81.4%) relative to the "Syndemic-free" (32.8%) and "Distress-Socioeconomic Syndemic" (31.0%) classes. HIV treatment nonadherence was significantly higher in the "Polydrug-Socioeconomic Syndemic" class (88.5%) relative to the "Syndemic-free" class (59.4%) but not the "Distress-Socioeconomic Syndemic" class (70.8%). Lack of HIV viral load suppression was non-significantly higher in the "Polydrug-Socioeconomic Syndemic" class (29.7%) relative to the "Syndemic-free" (16.2%) and "Distress-Socioeconomic Syndemic" (15.4%) classes. Polydrug-using, socioeconomically vulnerable YLWH are at risk for adverse HIV outcomes, warranting tailored programming integrated into extant systems of HIV care.

Supporting treatment adherence for resilience and thriving (START): protocol for a mHealth randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Although behavioral interventions show some promise for reducing stimulant use and achieving durable viral suppression in sexual minority men (SMM) with HIV, scalable mHealth applications are needed to optimize their reach and cost-effectiveness.

METHODS

Supporting Treatment Adherence for Resilience and Thriving (START) is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) testing the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of a mHealth application that integrates evidence-based positive affect regulation skills with self-monitoring of adherence and mood. The primary outcome is detectable HIV viral load (i.e., > 300 copies/mL) from self-collected dried blood spot (DBS) specimens at 6 months. Secondary outcomes include detectable DBS viral load at 12 months, self-reported stimulant use severity, anti-retroviral therapy (ART) adherence, and positive affect over 12 months. A national sample of up to 250 SMM with HIV who screen positive for stimulant use disorder and reporting suboptimal ART adherence is being recruited via social networking applications through April of 2024. After providing informed consent, participants complete a run-in period (i.e., waiting period) including two baseline assessments with self-report measures and a self-collected DBS sample. Those who complete the run-in period are randomized to either the START mHealth application or access to a website with referrals to HIV care and substance use disorder treatment resources. Participants provide DBS samples at baseline, 6, and 12 months to measure HIV viral load as well as complete self-report measures for secondary outcomes at quarterly follow-up assessments over 12 months.

DISCUSSION

To date, we have paid $117,500 to advertise START on social networking applications and reached 1,970 eligible participants ($59.77 per eligible participant). Although we identified this large national sample of potentially eligible SMM with HIV who screen positive for a stimulant use disorder and report suboptimal ART adherence, only one-in-four have enrolled in the RCT. The run-in period has proven to be crucial for maintaining scientific rigor and reproducibility of this RCT, such that only half of consented participants complete the required study enrollment activities and attended a randomization visit. Taken together, findings will guide adequate resource allocation to achieve randomization targets in future mHealth research SMM with HIV who use stimulants.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This protocol was registered on clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05140876) on December 2, 2021.

Emotion regulation as a potential moderator of the association between HIV stigma and nonadherence to antiretroviral therapy among youth living with HIV

INTRODUCTION

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related stigma affects adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) for youth living with HIV. Emotion regulation strategies such as cognitive reappraisal (reinterpreting adversity to mitigate emotional impact) and expressive suppression (inhibiting emotion-expressive behavior activated by adversity) may moderate the HIV stigma-ART adherence relationship in this group.

METHODS

Using baseline data from 208 youth living with HIV aged 15-24 years enrolled in an mHealth ART-adherence intervention, we performed modified Poisson regressions with robust variance between HIV stigma (internalized, anticipated, enacted) and ART nonadherence. We tested for multiplicative interaction via product terms between HIV stigma and emotion regulation scores, and additive interaction via relative excess risk due to interaction and attributable proportion using dichotomous HIV stigma and emotion regulation variables.

RESULTS

Mean age was 21 years; ≥50% of participants were cisgender male, non-Hispanic Black, and gay-identifying; 18% reported ART nonadherence. Confounder-adjusted regressions showed positive associations between each HIV stigma variable and ART nonadherence. Internalized HIV stigma and cognitive reappraisal negatively, multiplicatively interacted (as internalized HIV stigma increased, ART nonadherence increased for those with low cognitive reappraisal). High internalized HIV stigma positively, additively interacted with low cognitive reappraisal and low expressive suppression (when high internalized HIV stigma and low levels of either emotion regulation strategy were present, ART nonadherence increased dramatically).

CONCLUSION

Cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression may protect against internalized HIV stigma's harmful association with ART nonadherence. These modifiable emotion regulation strategies may be targeted to potentially buffer the effects of internalized HIV stigma and support ART adherence for youth living with HIV.

Adolescents Living With or at Risk for HIV: A Pooled Descriptive Analysis of Studies From the Adolescent Medicine Trials Network for HIV/AIDS Interventions

PURPOSE

This study aims to describe the cohort of Adolescent Medicine Trials Network for HIV/AIDS Interventions (ATN) research program participants and evaluate whether the ATN's recently completed 5-year cycle recruited study participants who parallel the populations most impacted by HIV in the United States.

METHODS

Harmonized measures across ATN studies collected at baseline were aggregated for participants aged 13-24 years. Pooled means and proportions stratified by HIV status (at risk for or living with HIV) were calculated using unweighted averages of study-specific aggregate data. Medians were estimated using a weighted median of medians method. Public use 2019 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surveillance data for state-level new HIV diagnoses and HIV prevalence among US youth aged 13-24 years were obtained for use as reference populations for ATN at-risk youth and youth living with HIV (YLWH), respectively.

RESULTS

Data from 3,185 youth at-risk for HIV and 542 YLWH were pooled from 21 ATN study phases conducted across the United States. Among ATN studies tailored to at-risk youth, a higher proportion of participants were White and a lower proportion were Black/African American and Hispanic/Latinx compared to youth newly diagnosed with HIV in the United States in 2019. Participants in ATN studies tailored to YLWH were demographically similar to YLWH in the United States.

DISCUSSION

The development of data harmonization guidelines for ATN research activities facilitated this cross-network pooled analysis. These findings suggest the ATN's YLWH are representative, but that future studies of at-risk youth should prioritize recruitment strategies to enroll more participants from African American and Hispanic/Latinx populations.

Internet-based peer support interventions for people living with HIV: A scoping review

Peer support interventions for people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA) are effective, but their associated time and material costs for the recipient and the health system make them reachable for only a small proportion of PLWHA. Internet-based interventions are an effective alternative for delivering psychosocial interventions for PLWHA as they are more accessible. Currently, no reviews are focusing on internet-based interventions with peer support components. This scoping review aims to map the existing literature on psychosocial interventions for PLWHA based on peer support and delivered through the internet. We conducted a systematic scoping review of academic literature following methodological guidelines for scoping reviews, and 28 articles met our criteria. We summarized the main characteristics of the digital peer support interventions for PLWHA and how they implemented peer support in a virtual environment. Overall the reported outcomes appeared promising, but more robust evidence is needed.

Adapting digital health interventions for the evolving HIV landscape: examples to support prevention and treatment research

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Although many HIV prevention and/or treatment digital health interventions (DHIs) have shown feasibility and acceptability, fewer have indicated efficacy, and only a subset have been adapted for new contexts. Adaptation is a key element of pragmatic implementation science research. Adaptation is cost effective and time efficient compared with new development. Leveraging adaptation can lead to accelerated scale-up and enhanced public health impact. Considering the value of adaptation, the purpose of this piece is to present examples of DHI to DHI adaptation sequences to inform future HIV prevention and/or treatment research.

RECENT FINDINGS

From an examination of recent academic articles (01 November 2016 to 31 October 2021), we identified adaptation sequences that included an original DHI with at least two adaptations. Four models are presented herein; examples consist of adapted DHIs for new population, health outcome, geography, or a combination thereof.

SUMMARY

Adaptation is a promising scientific approach to expeditiously respond to the evolving HIV landscape. We present examples of DHI adaptations alongside considerations for each type of adaptation; we also present adaptation challenges with responsive strategies. We suggest when conducted with attention to rigor (leveraging adaptation frameworks, community engagement, and tailoring content), adaptation is a powerful tool to pragmatically address the HIV epidemic.

Self-management interventions for adolescents living with HIV: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Self-management interventions aim to enable people living with chronic conditions to increase control over their condition in order to achieve optimal health and may be pertinent for young people with chronic illnesses such as HIV. Our aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of self-management interventions for improving health-related outcomes of adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV) and identify the components that are most effective, particularly in low-resource settings with a high HIV burden.

METHODS

We considered randomised controlled trials (RCTs), cluster RCTs, non-randomised controlled trials (non-RCTs) and controlled before-after (CBA) studies. We did a comprehensive search up to 1 August 2019. Two authors independently screened titles, abstracts and full texts, extracted data and assessed the risk of bias. We synthesised results in a meta-analysis where studies were sufficiently homogenous. In case of substantial heterogeneity, we synthesised results narratively. We assessed the certainty of evidence using GRADE and presented our findings as summaries in tabulated form.

RESULTS

We included 14 studies, comprising 12 RCTs and two non-RCTs. Most studies were conducted in the United States, one in Thailand and four in Africa. Interventions were diverse, addressing a variety of self-management domains and including a combination of individual, group, face-to-face, cell phone or information communication technology mediated approaches. Delivery agents varied from trained counsellors to healthcare workers and peers. Self-management interventions compared to usual care for ALHIV made little to no difference to most health-related outcomes, but the evidence is very uncertain. Self-management interventions may increase adherence and decrease HIV viral load, but the evidence is very uncertain. We could not identify any particular components of interventions that were more effective for improving certain outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Existing evidence on the effectiveness of self-management interventions for improving health-related outcomes of ALHIV is very uncertain. Self-management interventions for ALHIV should take into account the individual, social and health system contexts. Intervention components need to be aligned to the desired outcomes.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

PROSPERO CRD42019126313.

Pregnancy in an Urban Cohort of Adolescents Living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus: Characteristics and Outcomes in Comparison to Adults

Adolescents (13-24 years of age) account for more than one-fifth of new HIV diagnoses yearly, and the United States has one of the highest rates of adolescent pregnancy among high resource countries. However, there is limited information on the characteristics and outcomes of adolescents living with HIV (ALWHIV) during pregnancy and differences with pregnancy in adults living with HIV. We performed a retrospective cohort study to compare demographic characteristics, HIV viral suppression, and pregnancy outcomes in adolescents (n = 90) as compared with adults (n = 250) in an urban HIV pregnancy clinic from 2003 to 2015. Seventy-one women overall were diagnosed with HIV during pregnancy (adolescents, 25/90; adults, 46/250). One-fifth of adolescents acquired HIV perinatally. Adolescents were more likely than adults to have unintended pregnancy (83.6% vs. 68.7%, p = 0.016) and were less likely to be virally suppressed at delivery (50.0% vs. 69.7% overall, p = 0.001; 48.0% vs. 78.2% in postuniversal antiretroviral therapy era, p = 0.007%). Over one-third of adolescents reported a history of any illicit substance use, and adolescents were more likely than adults to use marijuana during pregnancy (29.2% vs. 16.9%, p = 0.013). Adolescents were less likely to experience preterm labor (11.0% vs. 24.1%, p = 0.012) or preterm premature rupture of membranes (3.7% vs. 16.7%, p = 0.003). There was one case of maternal-fetal transmission, which occurred in an adult pregnancy. Despite the high rate of unintended pregnancy, one-third of adolescents were discharged without an identified contraception plan. We identify several opportunities for intervention to improve reproductive health outcomes in ALWHIV.

Mobile apps for HIV prevention: how do they contribute to our epidemic response for adolescents and young adults?

Mobile health (mHealth) tools to address the HIV epidemic have proliferated in recent years. Yet when applied to the United States (US) epidemic, which is driven by new HIV infections among men who have sex with men (MSM), it is not clear how mHealth tools fit in the overall portfolio of biobehavioral prevention interventions and clinical services proven to be efficacious. Adolescent and young adult MSM are particularly vulnerable and reducing HIV incidence among this priority population will require substantial levels of uptake of multiple prevention strategies (i.e., HIV testing, condom use, sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), and treatment for those with HIV infection). Starting from the premise that adolescents are avid consumers of technology, this paper considers the particular strengths and opportunities of mHealth tools to address HIV prevention and provides examples of mHealth approaches that have been tested or are in development in these areas. Even after mHealth interventions are proven effective, there will be important intervening steps before such tools can be deployed and integrated into existing prevention programs given the diverse landscape of prevention service delivery. We anticipate some of the likely barriers to broad implementation of proven mHealth interventions in the context of the US public health funding and service delivery infrastructure and provide recommendations to increase efforts for future scale-up and dissemination.

Engaging youth in mHealth: what works and how can we be sure?

BACKGROUND

Youth participating in mobile health (mHealth) intervention trials often engage with the technologies [e.g., applications (app) or mobile-optimized websites] only partially, often prematurely discontinuing use altogether. Limited engagement can impact the interventions effect on behavior change and compromise researchers' ability to test and estimate the true efficacy of their interventions. While mHealth interventions have been shown to be feasible and acceptable to youth, across diverse health conditions, strategies to increase engagement have been less well studied. Specifically, within HIV prevention and care mHealth interventions, there is not consensus as to which components represent the "key ingredients" to support maximal engagement of youth. Further, successful intervention evaluation requires the ability to systematically track users' engagement with intervention components (i.e., paradata) to evaluate its effects on behavior change.

METHODS

As part of the Adolescent Medicine Trials Network UNC/Emory Center for Innovative Technology (iTech) portfolio of HIV/AIDS Interventions, we present diverse strategies used across five mHealth protocols seeking to promote youth engagement, track and measure engagement through paradata, and incorporate these components into mHealth intervention evaluations.

RESULTS

We describe the importance of defining and measuring engagement using case studies from iTech to illustrate how different research teams select mHealth features to promote youth engagement over time, taking into account features embedded in the technology design, key mechanisms of change and trial outcomes (e.g., HIV testing, pre-exposure prophylaxis uptake and adherence, HIV treatment adherence). Finally, we discuss how the research teams plan to evaluate engagement's role on their intervention's outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on this synthesis, we discuss strategies to enhance mHealth engagement during intervention development and design, ensure its monitoring and reporting throughout the trial, and evaluate its impact on trial outcomes.

Adapting technology-based HIV prevention and care interventions for youth: lessons learned across five U.S. Adolescent Trials Network studies

BACKGROUND

U.S. sexual and gender minority youth experience individual, interpersonal, and structural-level barriers to HIV prevention and care. Innovative, youth-driven approaches to mobile and electronic interventions that support use of new biomedical prevention, testing, and treatment options may address these barriers. Adapting evidence-based interventions for youth must balance core intervention components with responsiveness to the distinct needs of end-users.

METHODS

The UNC/Emory Center for Innovative Technology (iTech) adapts and evaluates technology-based interventions for youth living with or at risk for HIV. We analyzed formative research (focus groups and individual usability sessions) across five iTech studies: two apps promoting HIV testing and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), one app promoting behavioral risk reduction and PrEP, one PrEP adherence app, and one mobile-optimized website for increasing viral suppression, with the aim of informing best practices for technology-based intervention development. Each study presented prototypes of adapted mHealth interventions to samples of their target end-user population for use and/or evaluation.

RESULTS

One hundred and thirty-eight youth across seven geographically diverse sites provided feedback during the intervention adaptation process. We found high interest in and acceptability of all five intervention prototypes. Cross-study themes included: (I) Desire for multiple privacy protections (e.g., password, fingerprint) to keep HIV status, sexual identity, and sexual behavior confidential. (II) Strong but varied preferences for the look and feel of platforms. Imagery should be discrete but representative. Participants valued customizable platforms and positive themes, motivational language, and humor. Youth wanted information presented using multiple modalities (e.g., text, video, image) to increase engagement. (III) Youth preferred engagement features and functions consistent with familiar platforms (e.g., Snapchat, Instagram). Gamification features that resulted in tangible versus virtual rewards were predicted to increase engagement. Intervention messaging functions were perceived as useful; customization was desired as a way to control frequency, mode (e.g., SMS, in-app message, push notification), and content. (IV) Youth voiced varied preferences for platform content including: featuring young role models from the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and/or questioning (LGBTQ) community, incorporating mental health resources, and maintaining a holistic health-focus (not HIV-centric).

CONCLUSIONS

We found high acceptability and consistent feedback in youths' evaluations of these mHealth interventions; divergence was most commonly found in preferred content versus features and functions. Identifying broadly accepted aspects of mHealth interventions for youth supports the feasibility of adaptation (versus de novo creation) and should guide the focus of future formative research phases. Continued research is needed to better understand how to balance usability preferences with finite resources for customization.

Digitized HIV/AIDS Treatment Adherence Interventions: A Review of Recent SMS/Texting Mobile Health Applications and Implications for Theory and Practice

BACKGROUND

Mobile health technologies (mHealth) are efficacious along the continuum of HIV/AIDS-from prevention of HIV transmission to those at the highest risk of acquiring infection, to adherence to HIV medical care, for those living with the disease-decreasing the public health burden of the disease. HIV/AIDS is a complex condition, as certain population subgroups are disproportionately affected. Furthermore, barriers experienced at the individual level (e.g., HIV stigma) and at the systems level (i.e., access to care) contribute to these disparities. Low cost, high penetration rates and ease of use mean mHealth SMS/texting solutions hold the biggest promise for curbing the global HIV/AIDS epidemic; yet these technologies have their own challenges. Our primary objective was to assess interventions that promote adherence, which are delivered via SMS/texting, and important design and ethical considerations of these technologies. Specifically, we evaluated the underlying frameworks underpinning intervention design, strategies to safeguard privacy and confidentiality, and measures taken to ensure equity and equitable access across different subgroups of persons living with HIV (PLWH). We also synthesized study outcomes, barriers/facilitators to adherence, and barriers/facilitators of technology to support HIV adherence.

METHODS

A scoping review methodology was utilized, searching the Medline database for recently published articles (January 2017 to June 2019). Two reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts for relevancy using the following eligibility criteria: (a) original research or protocol; (b) inclusion of persons living with HIV; (c) intervention delivery via SMS/text messaging; and, (d) intervention included HIV care adherence.

RESULTS

Seven (7) of the 134 articles met full criteria. The great majority (n = 6) did not report whether the interventions were developed under established behavioral change models or frameworks. Strategies to address privacy, confidentiality and equity/equitable access were taken in four (n = 4) studies.

CONCLUSION

Our mixed methods review determined that privacy and confidentiality remain a concern for PLWH. Provisions to accommodate literacy, infrastructure, technology and other challenges (e.g., access to smartphones and Wifi) are important ethical considerations that guarantee equity and equitable access. Further investigation will determine the contexts within which theoretical models and frameworks remain relevant in the rapidly evolving field of digitized interventions that support adherence.