OVERVIEW
STUDY DATES: 2026 – 2029
Research Title: Adapting and Piloting a Combination Intervention to Reduce Heavy Drinking and Enhance HIV Treatment and Prevention Outcomes Among Young Men (R34AA032499)
This R34 study seeks to adapt and pilot KISOBOKA, an effective multilevel intervention to reduce high-risk alcohol use and improve HIV treatment and prevention outcomes among men, in a new setting.
STUDY AIMS
Aim 1. Adapt KISOBOKA to an urban, upper–middle-income setting with a status-neutral approach to engage out-of-care men.Aim 1a. Stakeholder Consultation & Adaptation: Consult with stakeholders through key informant interviews and decide on adaptations through focus group discussions with young men.
Aim 1b. Theater Testing: Theater test the adapted materials with 20 eligible participants.
Aim 2. Pilot-test the adapted intervention and evaluate implementation outcomes. Implement the adapted intervention among 160 men with high-risk alcohol use who are either (A) living with HIV and unsuppressed, or (B) HIV-negative and at high risk for HIV acquisition and not on PrEP or non-adherent. Using stratified randomization by HIV status between the intervention and screening and referral (S&R) groups, evaluate implementation outcomes and assess impact by comparing changes at 6 months from baseline in high-risk alcohol use and viral suppression/PrEP adherence.WHY?
High-risk alcohol use is a major driver of the global disease burden, slowing progress toward ending the HIV epidemic. High-risk alcohol consumption decreases engagement in care and adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), with studies estimating that alcohol contributes to up to 66% of new HIV infections among men.
Across settings, men exhibit higher rates of high-risk drinking and lower healthcare engagement, resulting in poorer HIV outcomes and shorter life expectancy compared to women. Despite these risks, few alcohol services exist in low-resource settings, creating a critical gap in evidence-based, effective alcohol-HIV interventions tailored specifically for men.
KISOBOKA, originally developed in Uganda, combines motivational interviewing, behavioral economic strategies, and structural interventions to reduce high-risk alcohol use and improve HIV care outcomes. Adapting KISOBOKA to an urban setting using a status-neutral approach will engage out-of-care men and generate vital preliminary data to inform a larger trial and future efforts to scale up alcohol reduction strategies in diverse global settings.
Principal Investigators (PI)
Susan M. Kiene, PHD (PI)
Adriane Michelle Wynn, PHD (PI)
Botswana PI
PI Affiliations
University of California San Diego Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, San Diego, USA
Bummhi, Gaborone, Botswana;
PARTNERS
- Bummhi Botswana
LOCATION
Gaborone, Botswana
FUNDER: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) HHS – NIH] (R34AA032499)
Contact us with any inquiries or questions
OUTCOMES
Stay tuned…
Building Research Initiatives Advancing Global Health Equity (BRIDGE) at San Diego State University
