Can online peer influencers accelerate HIV testing among young adult males living in Nairobi, Kenya? A study protocol
Résumé
Background: Kenya continues to experience persistent gender disparities in HIV testing. Young men remain substantially less likely than young women to test for HIV, despite expansion of facility based, community based, and HIV self testing services. Although WhatsApp based and peer led interventions have shown promise individually, it remains unclear whether adding online peer influencer engagement to standard HIV communication further increases HIV testing uptake. Objective: To determine whether adding an online peer influencer led WhatsApp intervention to standard FM radio and WhatsApp HIV messaging increases HIV testing uptake among young adult men aged 18-32 years in Nairobi, Kenya. Methods: A three-arm, age-stratified randomized controlled trial (1:1:1 allocation) will recruit young adult men aged 18-32 years online in Nairobi. Participants will receive either (i) FM radio HIV messaging, (ii) FM radio plus standard WhatsApp HIV messaging, or (iii) FM radio plus WhatsApp messaging with an online peer influencer intervention. Participants will be followed for 12 weeks. The primary outcome is verified HIV testing uptake, defined as completion of at least one HIV test during follow up and confirmed through participant self report, de-identified facility records, and a Unique Referral Identification Code (URIC). Primary analyses will use generalized linear mixed models under an intention-to-treat framework, with prespecified secondary analyses. Discussion: This trial addresses an important evidence gap by evaluating the added value of online peer influencers in increasing verified HIV testing uptake among young adult men in Nairobi, beyond standard radio and WhatsApp HIV messaging. Conclusion: Findings will provide rigorous evidence to inform HIV testing policies and scalable digital behavior change interventions targeting young men in Nairobi and similar urban settings. Clinical trial registration: https://pactr.samrc.ac.za/Researcher/ManageTrials_v2.aspx, Identifier PACTR202605857599507.
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