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Protocol: Mapping social networks, social influence and sexual health among youth in rural KwaZulu-Natal, the Sixhumene cohort study

Protocol: Mapping social networks, social influence and sexual health among youth in rural KwaZulu-Natal, the Sixhumene cohort study
Protocol: Mapping social networks, social influence and sexual health among youth in rural KwaZulu-Natal, the Sixhumene cohort study
Background: sexual behaviour and sexually transmitted infections are strongly affected by social connections, and interventions are often adapted more readily when diffused through social networks. However, evidence on how young people acquire ideas and change behaviour through the influence of important social contacts is not well understood in high-HIV-prevalence settings, with the result that past peer-led HIV-prevention interventions have had limited success.

Methods: we therefore designed a cohort study (named Sixhumene or ‘we are connected’) to follow young people in three rural and small-town communities in uMkhanyakude district, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and the people that these youth identify as important in their lives. We will interview them five times over three years, at each visit collecting information on their socioeconomic, social and sexual health lives, and testing them for HIV and herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2). We will use this information to understand how these young people’s sexual health decisions are formed. This will include evaluating how poor sexual health outcomes are correlated across social networks, how youth mimic the attitudes and behaviours of those around them, who is at greatest risk of acquiring HIV and HSV-2, and who might be most influential within communities and thus best able to promote protective interventions.

Discussion: the information gathered through this study will allow us to describe social connection and influence spread through these real-world social networks, and how this leads to sexual health outcomes. Sixhumene will provide vital inputs for mathematical models of communities and spreading processes, as well as inform the development of effective interventions to protect the sexual health of community members through appropriate targeting with optimised messaging requiring fewer resources.
HIV, HSV-2, Sexual health, Social influence, Social support, South Africa
2398-502X
Nxumalo, V.
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Nxumalo, S.
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Smit, Theresa
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Khoza, T.
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Mdaba, F.
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Khumalo, T.
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Cislaghi, Ben
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Mcgrath, Nuala
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Seeley, Janet
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Shahmanesh, Maryam
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Harling, Guy
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Nxumalo, V.
35aed98c-d141-404b-99e3-952a8a6f4a0d
Nxumalo, S.
b9612b99-712f-4b52-961f-2e7dd547b310
Smit, Theresa
27eb61ce-0175-46ad-b4f5-bb47b319adbe
Khoza, T.
f27a931b-e987-4790-9a81-0092258abbb2
Mdaba, F.
d687c488-4f48-437e-9da6-23419f83e2bf
Khumalo, T.
98c48e0d-5cf1-4cf6-acfc-6d13d2c96ff9
Cislaghi, Ben
b57fc850-8670-4d91-a932-69825dc4228c
Mcgrath, Nuala
b75c0232-24ec-443f-93a9-69e9e12dc961
Seeley, Janet
f3106c01-ac91-4ffc-945a-6db3558fd8eb
Shahmanesh, Maryam
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Harling, Guy
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Nxumalo, V., Nxumalo, S., Smit, Theresa, Khoza, T., Mdaba, F., Khumalo, T., Cislaghi, Ben, Mcgrath, Nuala, Seeley, Janet, Shahmanesh, Maryam and Harling, Guy (2022) Protocol: Mapping social networks, social influence and sexual health among youth in rural KwaZulu-Natal, the Sixhumene cohort study. Wellcome Open Research, 7, [164]. (doi:10.12688/wellcomeopenres.17896.1).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Background: sexual behaviour and sexually transmitted infections are strongly affected by social connections, and interventions are often adapted more readily when diffused through social networks. However, evidence on how young people acquire ideas and change behaviour through the influence of important social contacts is not well understood in high-HIV-prevalence settings, with the result that past peer-led HIV-prevention interventions have had limited success.

Methods: we therefore designed a cohort study (named Sixhumene or ‘we are connected’) to follow young people in three rural and small-town communities in uMkhanyakude district, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and the people that these youth identify as important in their lives. We will interview them five times over three years, at each visit collecting information on their socioeconomic, social and sexual health lives, and testing them for HIV and herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2). We will use this information to understand how these young people’s sexual health decisions are formed. This will include evaluating how poor sexual health outcomes are correlated across social networks, how youth mimic the attitudes and behaviours of those around them, who is at greatest risk of acquiring HIV and HSV-2, and who might be most influential within communities and thus best able to promote protective interventions.

Discussion: the information gathered through this study will allow us to describe social connection and influence spread through these real-world social networks, and how this leads to sexual health outcomes. Sixhumene will provide vital inputs for mathematical models of communities and spreading processes, as well as inform the development of effective interventions to protect the sexual health of community members through appropriate targeting with optimised messaging requiring fewer resources.

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e-pub ahead of print date: 26 May 2022
Published date: 26 May 2022
Additional Information: Funding Information: We acknowledge the work of the initial research assistants on this project - Muntu Fakude, Phakamani Mkhwanazi, Siyabonga Mnyango and Samukelisiwe Nala. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 Nxumalo V et al.
Keywords: HIV, HSV-2, Sexual health, Social influence, Social support, South Africa

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 472090
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/472090
ISSN: 2398-502X
PURE UUID: eb958c84-f643-4467-9d17-1642312547e7
ORCID for Nuala Mcgrath: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-1039-0159

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Date deposited: 25 Nov 2022 17:37
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 03:32

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Contributors

Author: V. Nxumalo
Author: S. Nxumalo
Author: Theresa Smit
Author: T. Khoza
Author: F. Mdaba
Author: T. Khumalo
Author: Ben Cislaghi
Author: Nuala Mcgrath ORCID iD
Author: Janet Seeley
Author: Maryam Shahmanesh
Author: Guy Harling

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