Conference abstract
A community-based peer-facilitated psychological and social support model to improve retention in care among Cameroonian adolescents perinatally infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus: a randomized controlled trial
Pan African Medical Journal - Conference Proceedings. 2024:23(4).26
Nov 2024.
doi: 10.11604/pamj-cp.2024.23.4.2754
Archived on: 26 Nov 2024
Contact the corresponding author
Keywords: Adolescents perinatally infected with HIV, community-based psychological and social support, retention in care
Oral presentation
A community-based peer-facilitated psychological and social support model to improve retention in care among Cameroonian adolescents perinatally infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus: a randomized controlled trial
Francis Ateba Ndongo1,2,3,&, Awono Noah JPY4, Kana R4, Ndie J3, Tchassep Nono M5, Ndzie P6, Tejiokem MC7, Hopp Biheng E2, Avang Nkoa T2, Yacouba Aba C8, Fokam J9, Ketchaji A3, Ngako JN3, Penda CI5, Koki Ndombo PO2, Mbassi Hawa H2, Msellati P10, Faye A11, Lallemant M12, Zoung-Kani Bissek AC3,13
1Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Garoua, Garoua, Cameroon, 2Centre Mère-enfant, Fondation Chantal Biya, Yaoundé, Cameroon, 3Ministry of Public Health, Yaoundé, Cameroun, 4Media Convergence Consulting Office, Yaoundé, Cameroon, 5University of Douala, Douala, Cameroon, 6KidAIDS Cameroon, Yaoundé, Cameroon, 7Centre Pasteur du Cameroun, Yaoundé, Cameroun, 8Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Gabriel Toure, Bamako, Mali, 9Centre International de Recherche Chantal Biya, Yaoundé, Cameroun, 10Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD), Abidjan, Côte d´Ivoire, 11General Pediatrics Department, Hospital Universities Robert Debre, Paris, France, 12Programs for HIV Prevention and Treatment (PHPT) Foundation-Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD), Paris, France, 13Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé 1, Yaoundé, Cameroon
&Corresponding author
Introduction: psychological and social support for adolescents living with HIV remains undocumented and unaddressed in Central Africa, particularly in Cameroon. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of a peer-facilitated-community-based support model in improving retention in care among adolescents living with HIV and attending care at Chantal Biya Foundation, in Cameroon.
Methods: we conducted an ethically approved randomized controlled trial from 2021 to 2023 with adolescents aged 10-19 years old, perinatally infected with HIV. While the control arm only received routine care in the health facility, the intervention arm was additionally assigned to an HIV association for sustained support model, including support groups, leisure workshops, and home visits. The main outcome was maintaining retention in care beyond the first 15-month period of the study. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression models were fitted.
Results: in total, 305 adolescents were recruited in the study with a median age of 15.2 years old, including 162 (53.1%) girls and 153 individuals in the intervention arm. Mental health troubles were prevalent among participants: suicidal ideation (36.4%), severe depression (26.5%), high anxiety (29.1%), and low self-esteem (20.5%). Participants' baseline characteristics were quite similarly distributed irrelevant to the study arm. The probability of maintaining good retention in care beyond the first 15-month period of study start remained higher in the intervention arm (82.0% [95%CI: 73.7%-88.4%]) versus the control arm (71.0% [63.2%-78.1%]), [crude Hazard Ratio (95%CI): 2.0 (1.1-3.3), p=0.044].
Conclusion: capacity should be built in terms of implementing community-based peer-facilitated support groups in local organizations providing care to adolescents living with HIV to improve their retention in care.
A community-based peer-facilitated psychological and social support model to improve retention in care among Cameroonian adolescents perinatally infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus: a randomized controlled trial
Francis Ateba Ndongo1,2,3,&, Awono Noah JPY4, Kana R4, Ndie J3, Tchassep Nono M5, Ndzie P6, Tejiokem MC7, Hopp Biheng E2, Avang Nkoa T2, Yacouba Aba C8, Fokam J9, Ketchaji A3, Ngako JN3, Penda CI5, Koki Ndombo PO2, Mbassi Hawa H2, Msellati P10, Faye A11, Lallemant M12, Zoung-Kani Bissek AC3,13
1Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Garoua, Garoua, Cameroon, 2Centre Mère-enfant, Fondation Chantal Biya, Yaoundé, Cameroon, 3Ministry of Public Health, Yaoundé, Cameroun, 4Media Convergence Consulting Office, Yaoundé, Cameroon, 5University of Douala, Douala, Cameroon, 6KidAIDS Cameroon, Yaoundé, Cameroon, 7Centre Pasteur du Cameroun, Yaoundé, Cameroun, 8Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Gabriel Toure, Bamako, Mali, 9Centre International de Recherche Chantal Biya, Yaoundé, Cameroun, 10Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD), Abidjan, Côte d´Ivoire, 11General Pediatrics Department, Hospital Universities Robert Debre, Paris, France, 12Programs for HIV Prevention and Treatment (PHPT) Foundation-Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD), Paris, France, 13Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé 1, Yaoundé, Cameroon
&Corresponding author
Introduction: psychological and social support for adolescents living with HIV remains undocumented and unaddressed in Central Africa, particularly in Cameroon. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of a peer-facilitated-community-based support model in improving retention in care among adolescents living with HIV and attending care at Chantal Biya Foundation, in Cameroon.
Methods: we conducted an ethically approved randomized controlled trial from 2021 to 2023 with adolescents aged 10-19 years old, perinatally infected with HIV. While the control arm only received routine care in the health facility, the intervention arm was additionally assigned to an HIV association for sustained support model, including support groups, leisure workshops, and home visits. The main outcome was maintaining retention in care beyond the first 15-month period of the study. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression models were fitted.
Results: in total, 305 adolescents were recruited in the study with a median age of 15.2 years old, including 162 (53.1%) girls and 153 individuals in the intervention arm. Mental health troubles were prevalent among participants: suicidal ideation (36.4%), severe depression (26.5%), high anxiety (29.1%), and low self-esteem (20.5%). Participants' baseline characteristics were quite similarly distributed irrelevant to the study arm. The probability of maintaining good retention in care beyond the first 15-month period of study start remained higher in the intervention arm (82.0% [95%CI: 73.7%-88.4%]) versus the control arm (71.0% [63.2%-78.1%]), [crude Hazard Ratio (95%CI): 2.0 (1.1-3.3), p=0.044].
Conclusion: capacity should be built in terms of implementing community-based peer-facilitated support groups in local organizations providing care to adolescents living with HIV to improve their retention in care.
