# The role of injection partnerships and preferences for reducing HCV risk: Giving a voice to young women in rural Appalachia

> **NIH NIH K01** · OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $167,356

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
The purpose of this K01 Mentored Research Scientist Development application is to develop Dr. Kathryn
Lancaster's career as an independent investigator in conducting long-term, meaningful research at the
intersection of substance use and blood-borne infections among women. This K01 will provide Dr. Lancaster
with the necessary support to extend her skills to truly transformative and important new directions in 1)
multilevel data collection and analyses, 2) biological and clinical aspects of hepatitis C virus (HCV) acquisition
and disease progression, 3) stated-preference theory and application of discrete choice experiments, and 4)
building capacity for community-academic partnerships for addressing injection drug use in a new
sociocultural environment— rural Appalachia. In support of these skills, Dr. Lancaster is supported by an
outstanding interdisciplinary team of mentors with robust research portfolios, successful mentorship histories,
and a strong track record of collaboration. This team includes: Dr. Christopher Browning (Primary Mentor), Dr.
Carlos Malvestutto (Co-Mentor), Dr. John F P Bridges (Co-Mentor), and Dr. April Young (Co-Mentor).
Injection drug use and HCV among young women is dramatically rising in rural settings within the United
States. HCV risks and utilization of harm reduction services, like syringe service programs (SSP), within each
injection partnership vary due to complex cultural and gender norms. The social milieu that impact young
women who inject drugs (YWID) requires an in-depth understanding of how partnership-level factors and
preferences for SSP shape HCV risk reduction in rural settings. The goal of this study understand the role of
injection partnership-level factors on HCV risk and measure preferences for SSP among YWID in rural
Appalachian Ohio (Scioto, Pike, and Jackson Counties). Dr. Lancaster will leverage the NIDA-funded National
Rural Opioid Initiative (UG3) study infrastructure and community-academic partnerships to specifically: 1)
Describe the contribution of injection partnership-level factors on HCV risk behaviors among YWID in rural
Appalachia; 2) Determine the effect of injection partnership-level factors on HCV risk behaviors among YWID
in rural Appalachia; and 3) Elicit preferences for SSP among YWID in rural Appalachia. In-depth interviews
with YWID will be conducted to explore the how HCV risk behaviors may vary within and across injection
partnerships. Intensive granular, temporal data data will be collected quarterly using in-person behavioral
surveys and augmented with monthly ecological momentary assessments to capture injection partnership-level
factors and HCV risk behaviors in real-time. A formal elicitation of stated preferences for SSP will illuminate
attributes for services tailored for YWID. The training and research plan will produce preliminary data to inform
a NIDA R01 application to conduct a multisite, randomized controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10339343
- **Project number:** 5K01DA048174-04
- **Recipient organization:** OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Kathryn Elizabeth Lancaster
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $167,356
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-03-15 → 2024-02-29

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10339343

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10339343, The role of injection partnerships and preferences for reducing HCV risk: Giving a voice to young women in rural Appalachia (5K01DA048174-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10339343. Licensed CC0.

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