A Pilot Study of an Online HIV Stigma Training for Nursing Students in Iran
- Conditions
- Stigma, SocialHIV Infections
- Interventions
- Behavioral: The online HIV-related stigma trainingBehavioral: The online HIV epidemiology training with no specific content on stigma
- Registration Number
- NCT06509113
- Lead Sponsor
- University of California, San Francisco
- Brief Summary
In this study, the investigators will assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of online HIV stigma training in reducing stigmatizing attitudes and behaviors of nursing students in simulated clinical visits of patients living with HIV compared to an online HIV epidemiology training with no specific content on stigma.
- Detailed Description
Iran has the highest burden of HIV in the Middle East. However, only 42% of Iranians living with HIV are diagnosed and 28% on antiretroviral therapy. The largest gap in the continuum of HIV care is diagnosis. Due to sociocultural and religious beliefs, HIV- associated stigma and drug use stigma are exceedingly high, and sex outside of marriage, or sex of man with another man are considered to be "sinful" behaviors. These intersectional stigmas (stigma towards drug use, sexism, and homophobia) in addition to HIV stigma are major barriers for many people at risk for or living with HIV to engage in HIV testing or treatment. Our prior studies found that health providers have limited clinical encounters with people living with HIV (PLWH) and have no HIV stigma training. This lack of training can lead to stigmatizing attitudes and behaviors towards people at risk for HIV or PLWH. The highest HIV stigmatizing behaviors was reported in nurses and physician assistants. These data, coupled with the extreme marginalization of key populations at high risk for HIV in Iran, call for the development of new ways to train nurses to reduce HIV-related stigma in clinical settings. The investigators propose to develop, and field test an HIV stigma online training including simulated patients living with HIV for nursing school students. In a randomized controlled trial, the investigators will assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of the online HIV stigma training in reducing stigmatizing attitudes and behaviors of nursing students in simulated clinical visits of patients living with HIV compared to an online HIV epidemiology training with no specific content on stigma. Successful development of the HIV stigma training and simulated patients at risk for or living with HIV will set the stage for developing a larger trial of nurses and other health providers which can lead to an effective and scalable training program to reduce HIV-related stigma in clinical settings and improve engagement in HIV testing and care services. The investigators from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), will lead and co-investigate the project, respectively. They will collaborate with teams from Kerman University of Medical Sciences (KMU), Iran, and Ponce Health Sciences University (PHSU) in the USA.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- RECRUITING
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 70
- Currently nursing students in their year 3 or 4 of training
- Kerman Medical University (KMU) nursing schools
- Nursing student in their year 1 and 2
- Students of other fields and other universities
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- PARALLEL
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Intervention The online HIV-related stigma training Nursing students will be assigned to the intervention group and will receive online HIV-related stigma training. Control The online HIV epidemiology training with no specific content on stigma Nursing students will be assigned to the online HIV epidemiology training with no specific content on stigma.
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Stigma score Up to 4 weeks before and after intervention All nursing students will complete a validated stigma scale before and after the training interventions.
Behavioral manifestations of HIV stigma Up to 4 weeks before and after intervention Before and after the training interventions, all nursing students will meet with a randomly selected simulated patient for an HIV visit. These visits will be video recorded and will be coded and scored for stigmatizing behaviors.
Empathy score Up to 4 weeks before and after intervention All nursing students will complete a validated empathy scale before and after the training interventions.
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method The attitudes and behaviors of nursing students after the online HIV stigma training Three months after the intervention We will qualitatively examine study participants' real-world behaviors with HIV and at-risk patients to (1) explore if behaviors learned during the intervention carry on in real-world settings, (2) better understand how behaviors are manifested in natural settings, and (3) explore best methods to assess behaviors in real-world scenarios
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
Skill labs at the nursing school of Kerman Medical University
🇮🇷Kerman, Iran, Islamic Republic of