Structural Intervention to Promote HIV Care in Young Men Living with HIV

University Of Chicago, Chicago IL

Investigators

Abstract

The goals of this research project are to adapt elements of two existing career readiness interventions to the needs of young men, ages 18-29, living with HIV. Once adapted, a pilot study of the intervention will be conducted with 40 young men to determine intervention feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy for improving care engagement. To ensure this program can serve the needs of young men living with HIV, the research team will engage in a formative phase of adaptation, wherein quantitative and qualitative data will be collected from employers. A sample of potential employers (n=50) will complete a survey focused on challenges related to hiring and retaining individuals living with HIV. A second sample (n = 20) of potential employers will complete an interview with project staff, where they will respond to vignettes focused on successes and challenges a hiring manager could encounter when trying to hire and retain employees who are young men living with HIV. These data will inform the adaptation of the program. Next, a series of focus groups will be conducted with members of the population (n = 40) to identify what they most need in a career readiness intervention. More specifically, this phase will work to ensure the adapted intervention addresses the range of concerns associated with employment for young men irrespective of HIV status. Next, the research team will conduct a theater test with 8 young men aged 18-29 years old and 10 stakeholders serving the population, wherein stakeholders will observe the administration of content from the existing interventions to identify which content should be retained, adapted, or replaced. Next, 3 to 5 experts on employment and treatment barriers will be asked for additional feedback for intervention revision. The feedback will be used for additional revision of the program curriculum. Finally, a computerized readability test will ensure that language used in the revised intervention manual and activities is accessible to a 6th grade reading level. After the intervention manual and delivery procedures are finalized, 40 young men, ages 18-29, will be enrolled in a single arm pilot trial, with follow-up assessments at 6 and 12 months. The primary research outcomes for the pilot study are feasibility and acceptability. Additional outcomes include hours worked per week, job seeking self-efficacy, and proportion of missed HIV care visits. Further, we will use implementation science measures to identify the best approach for delivering the intervention in a community setting. Primary implementation outcomes are relative advantage of the intervention and implementation climate. Secondary outcome is readiness for implementation.