Peer Education for Gender Inclusion and Substance Use in Southern Africa
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age16-24
SponsorUniversity Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
About this trial
The goal of this trial is to test the effectiveness of a brief, behavioral peer group intervention called "PEGISUS" (Peer Education for Gender Inclusion and Substance Use in Southern Africa), on substance use, which will be embedded within existing vocational training programs in Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. Established peer groups who receive the PEGISUS intervention will complete nine sessions of an adapted intervention for substance use and gender equitable beliefs, embedded into vocational training programs. This will be compared to a standard of care control condition, which involves the vocational training program that is offered through the partner organization and a healthcare referral for substance use. The vocational training program partners are Sozo Foundation (South Africa), BuildIt International (Zambia), and Masvingo Polytechnic (Zimbabwe). Participants in both conditions will complete assessments at baseline, 12-weeks follow-up, and 24-weeks follow-up, consisting of self-reported questionnaires.
Eligibility criteria
This trial does not accept healthy volunteersQualifiers
Adolescents and young adults 16 - 24 years old
At least weekly self-reported alcohol/drug use in a peer group in the past month or at least monthly heavy episodic drinking with peers over the past three months
Comfortable communicating in the predominant local language or English
Lives in the target community and plans to remain in the area for the next 12 months
Disqualifiers
Untreated major mental illness that interferes with study participation, such as active suicidality, or unmanaged bipolar disorder or psychotic disorder
Currently receiving psychological treatment for substance use
Participation in another VT/skills development program or another trial that is judged by the site investigator as non-compatible with this study
Unable to provide informed consent or informed assent
Trial design
Design model
Parallel
Treatments tested in this trial
PEGISUS
BehavioralPEGISUS is an 8-session intervention for substance use and gender equitable beliefs.
Treatment groups
264 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groupsGroup A: PEGISUSExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Group B: Standard of CareNo intervention 0 interventions
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
Self-reported substance use for participants aged 18 and older
Self-report using the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance involvement Screening Test (ASSIST; for participants aged 18 and older). Higher scores indicate more substance use and associated problems.
Time frame
Change from baseline to 12-week follow-up assessment [range ≥8-20 weeks]2
Self-reported substance use for participants aged 16 and 17
Self-report using the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test for Youth (ASSIST-Y; for participants aged 16 and 17). Higher scores indicate more substance use and associated problems.
Time frame
Change from baseline to 12-week follow-up assessment [range ≥8-20 weeks]Secondary outcomes
1
Self-reported substance use for participants aged 18 and older
Self-report using the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance involvement Screening Test (ASSIST; for participants aged 18 and older). Higher scores indicate more substance use and associated problems.
Time frame
Change from baseline to 24-week follow-up assessment [range >20-32 weeks]2
Self-reported substance use for participants aged 16 and 17
Self-report using the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test for Youth (ASSIST-Y; for participants aged 16 and 17). Higher scores indicate more substance use and associated problems.
Time frame
Change from baseline to 24-week follow-up assessment [range >20-32 weeks]3
Self-reported gender equitable beliefs
Self-report using the adapted 23-item version of the Gender Equitable Men's Scale. Items are scored on a 3-point likert scale with higher scores representing more equitable norms.
Time frame
Change from baseline to 12-week follow-up assessment [range ≥8-20 weeks] and 24-week follow-up assessment [range >20-32 weeks]4
Attendance at vocational training program
Number of months of attendance in vocational training program.
Time frame
24-week follow-up assessment [range >20-32 weeks]Sponsors and contacts
Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.
University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
Lead sponsor
SolidarMed
Collaborator
University of Zambia
Collaborator
Medical Research Council, South Africa
Collaborator
Source ClinicalTrials.gov