HIV/AIDS Prevention Program Archive for Developing Countries (HAPPA-DEV)

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Research has shown that HIV/AIDS behavioral prevention programs can have a significant impact on reducing HIV risk behaviors among adults and youth (CDC, 2008a; Kelly and Kalichman, 2002; Kirby, 2001; Lyles et al., 2007). Recent advances in HIV prevention technology transfer, a process by which effective interventions are identified by researchers, translated for practitioner audiences, disseminated, and re-implemented (Card et al., 2001; Neumann and Sogolow, 2000), are beginning to bridge the gap between research and practice in the United States (US) (Institute of Medicine, 2001). No similar resources exist for health practitioners, educators, and researchers in developing countries. The proposed project will provide health practitioners and researchers from developing countries with key resources that facilitate access to, replication of, and re-evaluation of efficacious behavioral HIV prevention interventions. Specifically, the project will (1) Develop the HIV/AIDS Prevention Program Archive for Developing Countries (HAPPA-DEV), a collection of HIV prevention program kits containing all the materials needed to replicate and re-evaluate behavioral intervention programs that have been shown to be efficacious (by rigorous evaluation research) in preventing HIV infection or its risk-related behavioral antecedents among youth and adults in developing country settings; (2) Develop an innovative, research-based Program Adaptation Toolkitgtin a customized version to augment HAPPA-DEV program boxes as well as in a stand- alone version to use with empirically-validated programs acquired from other sourcesgtthat will build practitioners' capacity to tailor effective behavioral programs to new target populations and contexts, while retaining fidelity to the programs' core components; and (3) Develop a program LOCator and USage (LOCUS) tool to assist users in identifying prevention interventions in the archive best suited to their needs and settings, and to give users usage and implementation tips for each HAPPA-DEV program. In Phase I, efficacious interventions were identified and selected by a Scientist Expert Panel and prototypes of all products were developed and subjected to usability testing with HIV prevention professionals. In Phase II, the Scientist Expert Panel will identify and select a second set of programs for inclusion in the HAPPA-DEV collection; the product prototypes developed in Phase I will be modified per the results of the Phase I usability tests; usability tests will be conducted on the revised products; all products will be finalized and developed in their entirety; and a dissemination/implementation study will be conducted to assess the program adaptation process and experiences of agencies implementing the HAPPA-DEV programs. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: HIV prevention practitioners in the developing world have had little help in identifying behavioral interventions that have been shown to be effective in their or other regions, in acquiring materials from effective intervention programs, and in adapting the interventions to their target populations and contexts. The resources developed under the auspices of this project will provide health practitioners and researchers from developing countries (and their US collaborators) with key resources that facilitate access to, replication of, and re-evaluation of efficacious behavioral HIV prevention interventions.