Preferences for HIV testing services among young people in Nigeria

Background Despite high HIV incidence rates among young people in Nigeria, less than 24% of this population have ever tested for HIV. These low HIV testing rates suggest that current testing services may not align with their testing preferences. To address this gap, the objective of this study was to assess preferences for HIV testing options among young people in Nigeria.Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study using survey to assess preferences for HIV testing options among 113 youth aged 14-24 years residing in Nigeria. The survey included a series of hypothetical HIV testing options, comprised of six characteristics centered around HIV testing service (i.e. location of testing, test administrator, mode of pre-test, mode of post-test counseling, type of HIV test, and cost of HIV test). For each characteristic, participants were asked to select one of the options that they prefer or indicate none of the above. A descriptive analysis of the preferences made by participants was conducted, summarizing proportions of participants who selected different options for HIV testing.Results The mean age of study participants was 19.5 years old (SD=2.7). Most youth (73, 64.6%) had at least a secondary school degree. There was pronounced heterogeneity in HIV testing preferences among young people. Although most youth preferred free HIV testing, 14 (16.7%) reported preferring paying a small amount compared to free testing. More youth preferred blood-based HIV self-testing 39(48.8%) compared to facility-based HIV testing and oral HIV self-testing.Conclusions Our finding suggest that young people have a range of HIV testing preferences in Nigeria. This suggests that a “one-size-fits-all” approach to delivering services to youth may be challenging in this context. HIV testing services can be optimized to reach young people if a variety options are provided to meet their unique preferences.

Preferences for HIV testing services among young people in Nigeria

Background Despite high HIV incidence rates among young people in Nigeria, less than 24% of this population have ever tested for HIV. These low HIV testing rates suggest that current testing services may not align with their testing preferences. To address this gap, the objective of this study was to assess preferences for HIV testing options among young people in Nigeria.Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study using survey to assess preferences for HIV testing options among 113 youth aged 14-24 years residing in Nigeria. The survey included a series of hypothetical HIV testing options, comprised of six characteristics centered around HIV testing service (i.e. location of testing, test administrator, mode of pre-test, mode of post-test counseling, type of HIV test, and cost of HIV test). For each characteristic, participants were asked to select one of the options that they prefer or indicate none of the above. A descriptive analysis of the preferences made by participants was conducted, summarizing proportions of participants who selected different options for HIV testing.Results The mean age of study participants was 19.5 years old (SD=2.7). Most youth (73, 64.6%) had at least a secondary school degree. There was pronounced heterogeneity in HIV testing preferences among young people. Although most youth preferred free HIV testing, 14 (16.7%) reported preferring paying a small amount compared to free testing. More youth preferred blood-based HIV self-testing 39(48.8%) compared to facility-based HIV testing and oral HIV self-testing.Conclusions Our finding suggest that young people have a range of HIV testing preferences in Nigeria. This suggests that a “one-size-fits-all” approach to delivering services to youth may be challenging in this context. HIV testing services can be optimized to reach young people if a variety options are provided to meet their unique preferences.

Preferences for HIV testing services among young people in Nigeria

Background Despite high HIV incidence rates among young people in Nigeria, less than 24% of this population have ever tested for HIV. These low HIV testing rates suggest that current testing services may not align with their testing preferences. To address this gap, the objective of this study was to assess preferences for HIV testing options among young people in Nigeria.Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study using survey to assess preferences for HIV testing options among 113 youth aged 14-24 years residing in Nigeria. The survey included a series of hypothetical HIV testing options, comprised of six characteristics centered around HIV testing service (i.e. location of testing, test administrator, mode of pre-test, mode of post-test counseling, type of HIV test, and cost of HIV test). For each characteristic, participants were asked to select one of the options that they prefer or indicate none of the above. A descriptive analysis of the preferences made by participants was conducted, summarizing proportions of participants who selected different options for HIV testing.Results The mean age of study participants was 19.5 years old (SD=2.7). Most youth (73, 64.6%) had at least a secondary school degree. There was pronounced heterogeneity in HIV testing preferences among young people. Although most youth preferred free HIV testing, 14 (16.7%) reported preferring paying a small amount compared to free testing. More youth preferred blood-based HIV self-testing 39(48.8%) compared to facility-based HIV testing and oral HIV self-testing.Conclusions Our finding suggest that young people have a range of HIV testing preferences in Nigeria. This suggests that a “one-size-fits-all” approach to delivering services to youth may be challenging in this context. HIV testing services can be optimized to reach young people if a variety options are provided to meet their unique preferences.

Comparison of a Mobile Technology Application With the Balance Error Scoring System

Context:The most widely used method for postural balance assessment relies on the subjective observations of a test administrator. Accelerometry has been shown to provide a valid and reliable method for assessment of balance, and recent advances in microelectromechanical systems have made the technology available in mobile electronic devices.Objective:To compare a mobile technology application with a commonly used subjective balance assessment.Setting:Biomechanics laboratory.Participants:Twenty-one nonathlete college-aged individuals (7 men, 14 women; mean age 23 ± 3 years) volunteered to participate. Subjects were excluded if they reported any preexisting condition that might affect postural balance.Results:A strong inverse correlation was found between the scores for the two balance assessment methods (r= -.767,p< .01).Conclusions:Advances in technology have provided an attractive means to objectively quantify postural balance with off-the-shelf mobile consumer electronic devices.

Are There Test Administrator Effects in Large-Scale Educational Assessments?

In large-scale educational assessments such as the Third International Mathematics and Sciences Study (TIMSS) or the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), sizeable numbers of test administrators (TAs) are needed to conduct the assessment sessions in the participating schools. TA training sessions are run and administration manuals are compiled with the aim of ensuring standardized, comparable, assessment situations in all student groups. To date, however, there has been no empirical investigation of the effectiveness of these standardizing efforts. In the present article, we probe for systematic TA effects on mathematics achievement and sample attrition in a student achievement study. Multilevel analyses for cross-classified data using Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) procedures were performed to separate the variance that can be attributed to differences between schools from the variance associated with TAs. After controlling for school effects, only a very small, nonsignificant proportion of the variance in mathematics scores and response behavior was attributable to the TAs (< 1%). We discuss practical implications of these findings for the deployment of TAs in educational assessments.

Sepedi-toets vir Spraakverstaanbaarheid

The aim of this study was to develop the "Sepedi-toets vir Spraakverstaanbaarheid" to objectively evaluate the speech intelligibility of the client and to give appropriate phonetic information. This study evolved from the present need for evaluation mechanisms and therapeutic services in the indigenous African languages. The words used in the test had to conform to the requirements of certain phonetic criteria. Words and sentences of differing lengths were included The procedures followed by the test administrator were different for mother tongue speakers than those for non-mother tongue speakers. After the compilation of the test it was applied to four dysarthria speakers. Upon execution of the test it was evident that differences in judgement of speech intelligibility exist between mother tongue and non-mother tongue speakers. Useful phonetic information was obtained through the qualitative analysis of the speech productions. It appears that the "Sepedi-toets vir Spraakverstaanbaarheid" can be used in the clinical environment to obtain a more objective evaluation of the client.

Sex, Gullibility, and the Barnum Effect

The term “Barnum effect” refers to the tendency of people to accept personality interpretations containing vague statements that are universally true of the population at large. Some researchers have attributed the high acceptance rate of such statements to the gullibility of their subjects, while others suggested that factors such as social desirability, situational insecurity, or prestige of the interpreter may be significant contributors. Previous research has not shown sex to have significant main effects on acceptance of bogus personality interpretations but has suggested that sex may interact with certain variables that are situation-specific. In the present study, 75 undergraduate students administered projective ‘personality tests’ to friends who were approximately the same age. After a waiting period of two days, all subjects who had been ‘tested’ were given feedback consisting of a set of those general statements. They then rated the accuracy of their friends' interpretation. As in previous studies of this type, accuracy of the statements was rated very high, and women rated the interpretations as more accurate than men. The effects of a desire to be helpful were examined as a possible contributing factor in situations where the ‘test administrator’ and the subject were friends. Results suggest that helpfulness may interact with sex and situation, but further research is needed to evaluate the nature of this interaction.