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Using Digital Communication Technology Fails to Improve Longitudinal Evaluation of an HIV Prevention Program Aimed at Indian Truck Drivers and Cleaners

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Abstract

HIV prevention programs for truck drivers and cleaners (TDC) in India are limited. Longitudinal follow-up presents an obstacle to program effectiveness evaluation. We asked 3,028 TDC in a truck-driver HIV prevention program in Hyderabad to leave a cellular telephone number; we contacted participants 6 months after the intervention to assess sexual risk behavior change. Married, older, and better educated participants were more likely to leave phone numbers. Only 6.5% of TDC were reachable after 6 months. Longitudinal follow-up of this mobile sub-population remains a challenge, and more effective methods for evaluating HIV prevention programs are needed.

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Acknowledgments

The HIV prevention program was supported by the National AIDS Control Organization and Gati Limited. The evaluation was supported in part by Gati Limited; Dr. Schneider was supported by the National Center for Research Resources KL2RR025000, National Institutes of Health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine and Health Studies, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    John A. Schneider

  2. SHARE—India, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India

    Divya Kondareddy & Sabitha Gandham

  3. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University Medical Center, Box 3616, Durham, NC, 27710, USA

    Annie M. Dude

Authors
  1. John A. Schneider
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  2. Divya Kondareddy
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  3. Sabitha Gandham
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  4. Annie M. Dude
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Correspondence to Annie M. Dude.

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Schneider, J.A., Kondareddy, D., Gandham, S. et al. Using Digital Communication Technology Fails to Improve Longitudinal Evaluation of an HIV Prevention Program Aimed at Indian Truck Drivers and Cleaners. AIDS Behav 16, 1359–1363 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-011-0060-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-011-0060-6

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