# INTSHA: INTERACTIVE TRANSITION SUPPORT FOR HIV-INFECTED ADOLESCENTS USING SOCIAL MEDIA

> **NIH NIH K23** · EMORY UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $189,427

## Abstract

Significance: South Africa has the highest burden of adolescents living with HIV in the world. Clinical
outcomes are poor for adolescents during the transition period. Social media is popular among youth and has
potential to improve the modifiable factors in the Social-ecological Model of Adolescent and Young Adult
Readiness to Transition (SMART) model such as knowledge, self-efficacy, beliefs, maturity, goals,
relationships, peer and social support. The SMART model highlights these modifiable targets of intervention
and presents an ideal basis for a behavioral intervention using social media to improve transition care.
Innovation: This study will iteratively develop a social media behavioral intervention for adolescents living with
HIV and transitioning to adult care in South Africa. This proposal is the first intervention, to our knowledge,
designed to address transition outcomes (i.e., retention in care and viral suppression) for HIV-infected
adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa where 90% of the pediatric HIV-infections exist. Hypothesis: I hypothesize
that an iteratively developed social media based behavioral intervention will be acceptable and feasible for
adolescents living with HIV and transitioning to adult care. Approach: I will use in-depth qualitative interviews
to determine how social media can overcome barriers and enhance facilitators of successful transition to adult
care for adolescents living with HIV in South Africa (Aim 1). I will then iteratively adapt the social media based
behavioral intervention, Interactive Transition Support for HIV-infected Adolescents (InTSHA; meaning youth in
Zulu), using focus groups with adolescents, their caregivers, and healthcare providers (Aim 2). I will then
conduct a pilot clinical trial of the intervention (Aim 3) to determine its acceptability and feasibility. Training
Aims: I will undergo didactic study with coursework from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health,
Harvard Kennedy School, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the NIH Office of Social Science and
Behavioral Research in: Qualitative research methods for behavioral intervention design, social media use for
behavioral interventions, and clinical trials of behavioral interventions. In addition, I will have didactic training
with my mentors, attend and present at regular research seminars at Massachusetts General Hospital, conduct
formative readings, and participate in the Adolescent Clinical Trials Network (ATN) social media study, iTech.
Investigator: Brian Zanoni trained in Internal Medicine/Pediatrics with specialization in Infectious Disease, has
extensive clinical experience in adolescent HIV care in South Africa, a strong research foundation, and ample
mentorship. Mentors: Jessica Haberer is an expert in global health technology for HIV and serves as Dr.
Zanoni’s primary mentor. Christina Psaros is a behavioral scientist and clinical psychologist with expertise in
using qualitative research methods for psychosocial as...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10189698
- **Project number:** 5K23MH114771-04
- **Recipient organization:** EMORY UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Brian C. Zanoni
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $189,427
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-07-27 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10189698

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10189698, INTSHA: INTERACTIVE TRANSITION SUPPORT FOR HIV-INFECTED ADOLESCENTS USING SOCIAL MEDIA (5K23MH114771-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10189698. Licensed CC0.

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