Evaluating a Microfinance Intervention for High Risk Women in Mongolia

评估针对蒙古高危妇女的小额信贷干预措施

• 批准号: 8071669
• 负责人: Susan S Witte
• 金额: $ 31.91万
• 依托单位: COLUMBIA UNIV NEW YORK MORNINGSIDE
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-03-01 至 2012-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/8071669
• 关键词: AIDS prevention; Accounting; Alcohol dependence; Anal Sex; Biological; Businesses; Cognitive; Country; Development; Economic Factors; Economics; Educational process of instructing; Eligibility Determination; Employment; Employment Opportunities; Environmental Risk Factor; Female; Future; Gender; HIV; Health; High Risk Woman; Income; Institution; Intervention; Intervention Studies; Knowledge; Lead; Literature; Low income; Mentorship; Modeling; Mongolia; National Institute of Mental Health; Outcome; Population; Poverty; Prevalence; Prevention; Preventive Intervention; Randomized; Randomized Clinical Trials; Reliance; Reporting; Research; Risk; Risk Behaviors; Risk Reduction; Sampling; Savings; Sex Behavior; Sexual Partners; Sexually Transmitted Diseases; Staging; Testing; Time; Training; Unemployment; Vagina; Woman; Work; arm; base; design; evidence base; follow up assessment; follow-up; improved; literacy; meetings; migration; novel strategies; post intervention; programs; sex; sex risk; skills; social; theories

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The proposed study represents the first test of a savings-led microfinance intervention combined with HIV prevention on reductions of sexual risk behaviors among female sex workers (FSWs). The study may advance the gender-specific prevention repertoire for women who are at risk for HIV and STIs globally. More specifically, the US/Mongolian collaborative research team will: (1) integrate social cognitive and asset theories in the development and implementation of a microfinance intervention that will promote women's HIV risk reduction and economic self-sufficiency; (2) test a combination of multiple evidence-based microfinance components (financial literacy, business development training/mentorship, and matched savings), which are derived from asset theory, to promote HIV risk reduction and economic self sufficiency; (3) test a microfinance model that is sensitive to the unique needs of FSWs by (a) providing substantial training for personal financial literacy and business management [which most microfinance institutions do not provide]; (b) teaching women about the risks of credit before referring to loan programs; and (c) providing matched savings to build assets towards business development; and (4) test for the first time whether microfinance with a matched savings component can impact reductions in sexual risk among sex workers in a low income country. We will randomly assign 134 FSWs meeting eligibility criteria and completing a baseline assessment to either an evidence-based HIV sexual risk reduction intervention (HIVSRR) plus microfinance (HIVSRR+MF) or to the HIVSRR alone as a control condition, conducting follow-up assessments at immediate post test, 3 and 6 months post intervention. Evidence suggests that such combination of microfinance and HIV prevention may have a greater potential for risk reduction among women who-- because of their reliance on sexual behavior as a means of economic support-- have a compromised ability to be concerned with longer term health consequences such as HIV or sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This study responds to the identified need in the literature for rigorous testing of combination microfinance and HIV prevention in support of sexual risk reduction among women where individually based interventions are too limited, and gender, economic and migration issues restrict the impact of existing prevention intervention strategies. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The proposed study represents the first test of a savings-led microfinance intervention combined with HIV prevention on reductions of sexual risk behaviors among female sex workers (FSWs). We will randomly assign 134 FSWs meeting eligibility criteria and completing a baseline assessment to either an evidence-based HIV sexual risk reduction intervention (HIVSRR) plus microfinance (HIVSRR+MF) or to the HIVSRR alone as a control condition, conducting follow up assessment at immediate post test, 3 and 6 months post intervention.

描述（由申请人提供）：拟议的研究是对以储蓄为主导的小额信贷干预措施与艾滋病毒预防相结合以减少女性性工作者（FSW）性危险行为的首次测试。该研究可能会为全球面临艾滋病毒和性传播感染风险的女性推进针对性别的预防措施。更具体地说，美国/蒙古合作研究小组将：（1）将社会认知和资产理论融入小额信贷干预措施的开发和实施中，以促进妇女降低艾滋病毒风险和经济自给自足； (2) 测试源自资产理论的多种基于证据的小额信贷组成部分（金融知识、业务发展培训/指导和匹配储蓄）的组合，以促进降低艾滋病毒风险和经济自给自足； (3) 通过 (a) 提供个人金融知识和企业管理的实质性培训[大多数小额信贷机构不提供]，测试对金融稳定工的独特需求敏感的小额信贷模式； (b) 在向妇女推荐贷款方案之前，让她们了解信贷的风险； (c) 提供配套储蓄以积累资产以促进业务发展； (4) 首次测试具有匹配储蓄成分的小额信贷是否能够影响低收入国家性工作者性风险的降低。我们将随机分配 134 名符合资格标准并完成基线评估的 FSW 进行基于证据的 HIV 性风险降低干预措施 (HIVSRR) 加小额信贷 (HIVSRR+MF) 或仅将 HIVSRR 作为对照条件，并在测试后立即、干预后 3 个月和 6 个月进行后续评估。有证据表明，小额信贷和艾滋病毒预防的这种结合可能具有更大的降低妇女风险的潜力，因为她们依赖性行为作为经济支持手段，因此担心艾滋病毒或性传播感染 (STI) 等长期健康后果的能力受到损害。这项研究响应了文献中确定的对小额信贷和艾滋病毒预防相结合的严格测试的需求，以支持降低妇女的性风险，因为基于个人的干预措施过于有限，而且性别、经济和移民问题限制了现有预防干预策略的影响。 公共卫生相关性：拟议的研究是对以储蓄为主导的小额信贷干预措施与艾滋病毒预防相结合对减少女性性工作者 (FSW) 性危险行为的首次测试。我们将随机分配 134 名符合资格标准并完成基线评估的 FSW 进行基于证据的 HIV 性风险降低干预措施 (HIVSRR) 加小额信贷 (HIVSRR+MF) 或仅将 HIVSRR 作为对照条件，并在测试后立即、干预后 3 个月和 6 个月进行后续评估。