View in EDS

Impact of participation as a peer change agent on peer change agents themselves: a quantitative study of a peer-led, social media-based PrEP promotion intervention.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Impact of participation as a peer change agent on peer change agents themselves: a quantitative study of a peer-led, social media-based PrEP promotion intervention.
Authors: Cooper, Spring C1 (AUTHOR) dr.spring@gmail.com, Santella, Anthony J2 (AUTHOR), Caines, Matthew3 (AUTHOR), Rojanaworarit, Chanapong4 (AUTHOR), Hernandez, Alex5 (AUTHOR)
Source: Health Education Research. Feb2024, Vol. 39 Issue 1, p84-98. 15p.
Subject Terms: *Social media, *Peer counseling, *Pre-tests & post-tests, *Data analysis, *Health promotion, HIV prevention, Pilot projects, Statistics, Professional practice, Internet, Medical care, Quantitative research, Pre-exposure prophylaxis, Self-efficacy, Research funding, Men who have sex with men
Abstract: Despite the adoption of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) as a crucial HIV intervention, uptake remains suboptimal among men who have sex with men, a sexual minority group, due to barriers like cost and stigma. Peer change agents (PCAs) disseminate PrEP information within their social networks. This study explores the reciprocal effects of an online community-based participatory intervention on PCAs, focusing on their transformed PrEP uptake perceptions—leadership efficacy, social network dynamics, attitudes, perceived benefits and barriers and self-efficacy. Leveraging insights from the PrEP Chicago Study, our research addresses a key gap in community-based participatory interventions for PrEP uptake: the transformative experiences and perception shifts of PCAs involved in these interventions. We engaged 20 men who have sex with men, aged 18–45, as PCAs in a one-group pretest–posttest design intervention, which disseminated PrEP communications within their preferred online networks. We utilized the PrEP Chicago Study's 45 Likert items, tailored to reveal the PCAs' transformative potential. Data on PrEP uptake perceptions, sociodemographics and social media use were captured and analyzed using the Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test, a nonparametric method. PCAs demonstrated significant changes in their PrEP uptake perceptions, including leadership capacity, social network dynamics, attitudes toward PrEP, perceived benefits, barriers and self-efficacy. Our intervention highlights the reciprocal transformation PCAs undergo when disseminating PrEP information. This study adds a new dimension to community-based PrEP interventions and underscores the need for continued refinement of peer-led strategies to optimize the transformative potential of PCAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Health Education Research is the property of Oxford University Press / USA and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Education Research Complete
Description
Abstract:Despite the adoption of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) as a crucial HIV intervention, uptake remains suboptimal among men who have sex with men, a sexual minority group, due to barriers like cost and stigma. Peer change agents (PCAs) disseminate PrEP information within their social networks. This study explores the reciprocal effects of an online community-based participatory intervention on PCAs, focusing on their transformed PrEP uptake perceptions—leadership efficacy, social network dynamics, attitudes, perceived benefits and barriers and self-efficacy. Leveraging insights from the PrEP Chicago Study, our research addresses a key gap in community-based participatory interventions for PrEP uptake: the transformative experiences and perception shifts of PCAs involved in these interventions. We engaged 20 men who have sex with men, aged 18–45, as PCAs in a one-group pretest–posttest design intervention, which disseminated PrEP communications within their preferred online networks. We utilized the PrEP Chicago Study's 45 Likert items, tailored to reveal the PCAs' transformative potential. Data on PrEP uptake perceptions, sociodemographics and social media use were captured and analyzed using the Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test, a nonparametric method. PCAs demonstrated significant changes in their PrEP uptake perceptions, including leadership capacity, social network dynamics, attitudes toward PrEP, perceived benefits, barriers and self-efficacy. Our intervention highlights the reciprocal transformation PCAs undergo when disseminating PrEP information. This study adds a new dimension to community-based PrEP interventions and underscores the need for continued refinement of peer-led strategies to optimize the transformative potential of PCAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:02681153
DOI:10.1093/her/cyad042