scholarly journals An Intervention to Enhance Social, Emotional, and Identity Learning for Very Young Adolescents and Support Gender Equity: Protocol for a Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial

10.2196/23071 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. e23071
Author(s):  
Megan Cherewick ◽  
Sarah Lebu ◽  
Christine Su ◽  
Ronald E Dahl
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Identity Formation ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Gender Norms ◽  
Young Adolescents ◽  
Social Emotional ◽  
Low Resource ◽  
Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Identity Learning

Background The onset of puberty is a pivotal period of human development that is associated with significant changes in cognitive, social, emotional, psychological, and behavioral processes that shape identity formation. Very early adolescence provides a critical opportunity to shape identity formation around gender norms, attitudes, and beliefs before inequitable gender norms are amplified during and after puberty. Objective The aim of the Discover Learning Project is to integrate strategic insights from developmental science to promote positive transformation in social, emotional, and gender identity learning among 10- to 11-year-olds in Tanzania. Through a pragmatic randomized controlled trial, the intervention scaffolds the development of critical social and emotional mindsets and skills (curiosity, generosity, persistence, purpose, growth mindset, and teamwork) delivered by conducting 18 after-school, technology-driven, experiential learning sessions in small, mixed-gender groups. Methods The Discover Learning Intervention is a 3-arm randomized controlled trial that will be delivered to 579 participants selected from four public primary schools in Temeke District, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Randomization will be done at the individual level into 3 treatment groups receiving incremental intervention components. The treatment components include Discover Learning content curated into child-friendly videos, facilitated discussions, and a parent-child workbook, to be implemented over two phases, each 6 weeks long. A baseline survey will be administered to participants and their parents prior to the intervention. The process will be observed systematically, and data will be collected using surveys, in-depth interviews, observations, and focus group discussions with adolescents, parents, teachers, and facilitators conducted prior, during, and after each implementation phase. Results This study builds on formative and pilot studies conducted with the target population to inform the design of the intervention. The results will generate new evidence that will inform strategies for achieving scale in Tanzania and provide insights for replication of similar programs that are invested in gender-transformative interventions in peri-urban, low-resource settings. Conclusions The Discover Learning Intervention makes an important contribution to the field of adolescent developmental science as an intervention designed for very young adolescents in a low-resource setting. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04458077; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04458077 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/23071

scholarly journals An Intervention to Enhance Social, Emotional, and Identity Learning for Very Young Adolescents and Support Gender Equity: Protocol for a Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan Cherewick ◽  
Sarah Lebu ◽  
Christine Su ◽  
Ronald E Dahl
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Identity Formation ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Gender Norms ◽  
Young Adolescents ◽  
Social Emotional ◽  
Low Resource ◽  
Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Identity Learning

BACKGROUND The onset of puberty is a pivotal period of human development that is associated with significant changes in cognitive, social, emotional, psychological, and behavioral processes that shape identity formation. Very early adolescence provides a critical opportunity to shape identity formation around gender norms, attitudes, and beliefs before inequitable gender norms are amplified during and after puberty. OBJECTIVE The aim of the Discover Learning Project is to integrate strategic insights from developmental science to promote positive transformation in social, emotional, and gender identity learning among 10- to 11-year-olds in Tanzania. Through a pragmatic randomized controlled trial, the intervention scaffolds the development of critical social and emotional mindsets and skills (curiosity, generosity, persistence, purpose, growth mindset, and teamwork) delivered by conducting 18 after-school, technology-driven, experiential learning sessions in small, mixed-gender groups. METHODS The Discover Learning Intervention is a 3-arm randomized controlled trial that will be delivered to 579 participants selected from four public primary schools in Temeke District, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Randomization will be done at the individual level into 3 treatment groups receiving incremental intervention components. The treatment components include Discover Learning content curated into child-friendly videos, facilitated discussions, and a parent-child workbook, to be implemented over two phases, each 6 weeks long. A baseline survey will be administered to participants and their parents prior to the intervention. The process will be observed systematically, and data will be collected using surveys, in-depth interviews, observations, and focus group discussions with adolescents, parents, teachers, and facilitators conducted prior, during, and after each implementation phase. RESULTS This study builds on formative and pilot studies conducted with the target population to inform the design of the intervention. The results will generate new evidence that will inform strategies for achieving scale in Tanzania and provide insights for replication of similar programs that are invested in gender-transformative interventions in peri-urban, low-resource settings. CONCLUSIONS The Discover Learning Intervention makes an important contribution to the field of adolescent developmental science as an intervention designed for very young adolescents in a low-resource setting. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04458077; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04458077 INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT DERR1-10.2196/23071

scholarly journals Impact of Xpert MTB/RIF on Antiretroviral Therapy-Associated Tuberculosis and Mortality: A Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Mupfumi ◽  
B. Makamure ◽  
M. Chirehwa ◽  
T. Sagonda ◽  
S. Zinyowera ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Limited Resource ◽  
Hiv Treatment ◽  
Treatment Programs ◽  
Sputum Smear ◽  
Smear Microscopy ◽  
Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Art Initiation

Abstract Introduction.  GeneXpert® MTB/RIF (Xpert) is now widely distributed in high human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/tuberculosis (TB)-burden countries. Yet, whether the test improves patient-important outcomes within HIV treatment programs in limited resource settings is unknown. Methods.  To investigate whether use of Xpert for TB screening prior to initiation of antiretroviral treatment (ART) improves patient-important outcomes, in a pragmatic randomized controlled trial we assigned 424 patients to Xpert or fluorescence sputum smear microscopy (FM) at ART initiation. The primary endpoint was a composite of 3-month mortality and ART-associated TB. Results.  There was no difference in overall TB diagnosis at ART initiation (20% [n = 43] Xpert vs 21% [n = 45] FM; P = .80), with most patients in both groups treated empirically. There was no difference in time to TB treatment initiation {5 days (interquartile range [IQR], 3–13) vs 8 days [IQR, 3–23; P = .26]} or loss to follow-up (32 [15%] vs 38 [18%]; P = 0.38). Although a nonsignificant reduction in mortality occurred in the Xpert group (11 [6%] vs 17 [10%]; 95% CI, −9% to 2%; P = .19), there was no difference in the composite outcome (9% [n = 17] Xpert vs 12% [n = 21] FM; difference −3%; 95% CI, −9% to 4%). Conclusions.  Among HIV-infected initiating ART, centralized TB screening with Xpert did not reduce the rate of ART-associated TB and mortality, compared with fluorescence microscopy.

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