Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Formative Research
Date Submitted: Mar 4, 2022
Date Accepted: May 25, 2022
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Development of an mHealth Intervention to Improve PrEP Knowledge Among Young Black Women in Family Planning Clinics
ABSTRACT
Background:
Young Black women, ages 18 to 24, are disproportionately impacted by HIV yet have low self-perception of risk and limited exposure to prevention strategies. Pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, is a safe and effective biomedical HIV-prevention strategy for those at risk for HIV infection- yet uptake has been slow among cisgender women. Family planning clinics are a primary source of health care access for adolescent women, providing an ideal opportunity to integrate PrEP information and care into existing clinic practices.
Objective:
Describe the development and pilot test of In the Loop mobile health app.
Methods:
Utilizing user-centered design, the In the Loop app was developed in collaboration with a community advisory board of young Black women. This study employed a multi-stage design, which included community-engaged app development, user testing, and evaluation of feasibility and acceptability. A pre/post design was used to assess the impact of the app on PrEP knowledge immediate post use.
Results:
Analysis comparing scores pre- immediate post using the app revealed a significant increase in PrEP content knowledge scores on a 7-item true/false scale (z= -6.04, p<.001). Overall, participants considered the In the Loop app feasible and acceptable to use while waiting for a family planning visit.
Conclusions:
Next steps for the In the Loop app include implementing user-suggested improvements and further testing in a randomized control trial to determine impact on PrEP uptake.
Citation
