JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Despite many evidence-based HIV interventions, most research findings are not disseminated. Enhancing research dissemination is essential to achieving Nigerian HIV targets.

Objective:

This study describes dissemination strategies solicited from the public to share research findings and products from an HIV self-testing intervention among Nigerian adolescents and young adults (AYAs).

Methods:

A crowdsourcing open call was launched in 2023 for 3 weeks to generate creative ideas for strategies to disseminate research findings and products from an HIV self-testing intervention among young people (14 - 30 years old). Crowdsourcing open calls are structured approaches to solicit community insights. Two people pre-screened the submissions for eligibility before judging based on five criteria- clear description, desirability to AYA, innovation, feasibility, and relevance to dissemination. We then conducted an inductive thematic content analysis of eligible submissions to identify key dissemination strategies for HIV research to AYA, and descriptive statistics to characterize participants’ demographic data.

Results:

We received 64 eligible submissions across twenty-four states in Nigeria. The majority of the participants were male (53%), and some (28%) were ≤18 years (mean age = 21 years). Our analysis identified six major themes reflecting AYA-driven strategies for disseminating HIV research products: a) use of digital platforms such as social media, websites, podcasts, and blogs; b) use of artistic expressions such as murals, posters, comics, and infographics to communicate key research findings in visually appealing ways tailored to AYA; c) community engagement and experiential activities such as door-to-door campaigns, and interactive workshops to communicate research products and findings, d) performance arts such as use of concerts, open mic events, dance, and fashion to communicate research findings, e) storytelling and narratives in the form of stories, drama, and theater as tools for dissemination, and f) interactive and gamified activities such as mobile application, and board games for engaged with research findings and products. The majority of submissions (60%) recommended local collaboration with schools or community leaders for dissemination.

Conclusions:

We received 64 eligible submissions across twenty-four states in Nigeria. The majority of the participants were male (53%), and some (28%) were ≤18 years (mean age = 21 years). Our analysis identified six major themes reflecting AYA-driven strategies for disseminating HIV research products: a) use of digital platforms such as social media, websites, podcasts, and blogs; b) use of artistic expressions such as murals, posters, comics, and infographics to communicate key research findings in visually appealing ways tailored to AYA; c) community engagement and experiential activities such as door-to-door campaigns, and interactive workshops to communicate research products and findings, d) performance arts such as use of concerts, open mic events, dance, and fashion to communicate research findings, e) storytelling and narratives in the form of stories, drama, and theater as tools for dissemination, and f) interactive and gamified activities such as mobile application, and board games for engaged with research findings and products. The majority of submissions (60%) recommended local collaboration with schools or community leaders for dissemination.