Project nGage: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial of a Dyadic Network Support Intervention to Retain Young Black Men Who Have Sex With Men in HIV Care

Alida Bouris*, Kaitlyn Jaffe, Rebecca Eavou, Chuanhong Liao, Lisa Kuhns, Dexter Voisin, John A. Schneider

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

51 Scopus citations

Abstract

HIV-positive young black MSM (YBMSM) experience poor outcomes along the HIV care continuum, yet few interventions have been developed expressly for YBMSM retention in care. Project nGage was a randomized controlled trial conducted across five Chicago clinics with 98 HIV-positive YBMSM aged 16–29 between 2012 and 2015. The intervention used a social network elicitation approach with index YBMSM (n = 45) to identify and recruit a support confidant (SC) to the study. Each index-SC dyad met with a social worker to improve HIV-care knowledge, activate dyadic social support, and develop a retention in care plan. Each index and SC also received four mini-booster sessions. Control participants (n = 53) received treatment as usual. Surveys and medical records at baseline, 3-, and 12-months post-intervention assessed visit history (3 or more visits over 12 months; primary outcome), and sociodemographic, network, social-psychological, and behavioral factors. At baseline, there were no differences in age (M = 23.8 years), time since diagnosis (M ≤ 2 years), clinic visits in the previous 12 months (M = 4.1), and medication adherence (68.6 ≥ 90% adherence). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, intervention participants were 3.01 times more likely to have had at least 3 provider visits (95% CI 1.0–7.3) than were control participants over 12 months. Project nGage demonstrates preliminary efficacy in improving retention in care among YBMSM. Results suggest that engaging supportive network members may improve key HIV care continuum outcomes.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)3618-3629
Number of pages12
JournalAIDS and behavior
Volume21
Issue number12
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 1 2017

Funding

Acknowledgements This work was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health (R34MH097622, R01DA039934 and R01DA033875). ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01726712. This manuscript was also made possible with help from the Third Coast Center for AIDS Research (P30 AI 117943). We would like to thank the study participants for their participation and Milton “Mickey” Eder, Molly Pilloton, Natasha Flatt, Tim Walsh, Tiffany Washington, Keisha Hampton and Montre Washington for their valuable contributions to the project.

Keywords

  • Randomized controlled trial
  • Retention in HIV care
  • Social networks
  • Social support
  • Young black men who have sex with men

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Social Psychology
  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
  • Infectious Diseases

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