Piloting a Smartphone App to Improve Treatment Adherence Among South African Adolescents Living With HIV
HIV Infections, Adolescent Behavior
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for HIV Infections focused on measuring mobile health, adolescent, HIV, South Africa, social network, adherence, treatment
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- Age >= 15 years and <= 21 years
- Knows HIV status (Screened adolescents who do not know their HIV status will receive information on free voluntary HIV counseling and testing services)
- Living with HIV
- Has been prescribed medication to treat HIV
- Not attending school for learners with special needs (e.g., School of Skills)
- Has not repeated a grade in school more than once
- Has a smartphone that can download apps
- Feels comfortable using an app with content in English
- No plan to move outside of Cape Town in the next six months
- Has not previously participated in the MASI app testing phase of our study
- Able to successfully install the MASI app on their smartphone
Exclusion Criteria:
- Failure to meet any of the inclusion criteria
- Child dissent despite parent, legal guardian, caregiver informed consent
Sites / Locations
- University of Cape Town
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Experimental
Active Comparator
MASI
Information-only version of MASI
Participants randomized to the intervention condition will receive access to MASI, the smartphone app customized for this study. MASI is an adapted version of HealthMpowerment, a theory-based smartphone app with features including an anonymous interactive discussion forum, a medication and adherence tracker, a platform to ask questions to an expert, a section with engaging activities (including quizzes, self-assessments, and goal-setting activities), and a multi-media resource center.
Participants randomized to the control condition will an information-only version of MASI which will include the Resources feature and the home page.