Most at Risk Adolescents in Eastern Europe Building the Evidence Base

1. Most at Risk Adolescents in Eastern EuropeBuilding the Evidence Base Joanna Busza & Megan Douthwaite London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine September 2, 2009

2. LSHTM approach to technical assistance • Research as process …study design, data collection, and analysis remain flexible and adapt as new questions or findings emerge. • Research into action …more important to produce useful information with practical implications than to create a lot of data. • Research for skills building …systematically working through each step strengthens collaboration within country teams and the region.

3. Technical Assistance Proposed Structure • Regional training & study design workshops • Development of standardised tools • Guidance on country-specific issues • Data analysis workshops • Country visits for specified activities • Distance based backstopping & advice

4. Synthesise available data Analyse costs and effects; Follow-up survey (?) Identify knowledge gaps on MARA Process evaluations(3 countries) Select local sample populations & recruitment strategies Develop interventions Collect data on risk & protective behaviours(7 countries) Explore context & dynamics (4 countries) Research Cycle

5. …Exploring an unknown subject …… Gathering population-based data...… Comparing across the region ….… Planning interventions …… Evaluating services … Choosing the right methodology is a logical process, with several decision-making steps

6. Designing Baseline Studies • What data on MARA already exists? • Who has contact with target groups? • What are the advocacy objectives? • What are plans/ goals for interventions? • What is the main purpose for the evidence produced?

7. Risk vs. Vulnerability Assess & profile % of most-at-risk populations who are adolescents? OR Determine & characterise % of specific adolescent groups who are involved in risk behaviours?

8. Eco-social framework for Risk Biological Susceptibility Policies Laws Peer norms &Networks Available services Politicaleconomy Individual Risk perception Skills Knowledge Local Environment Communitycontext Structuralshapers Cultural attitudes & expectations

9. Research Components Sample selection Development of instruments Adaptation to country-specific contexts Addressing ethical issues Data analysis and interpretation Qualitative studies in select countries to explore specific dimensions of MARA experience Intervention research in 3 countries to evaluate & cost MARA-targeted services

10. Research Trajectory Planning Data Collection Analysis Results/Use Compile & interpretexisting data Identify information gaps Design study Select sampleand tools Train team Identify 2nddarysources of data Distill mostimportantfindings Present resultsin clear format Combine qualitative andquantitativedata Offer rigorousinterpretation Data adequate foraction Results widelydisseminated Findings in formcompatible withother data Contributes towider evidence base Interventions canbe planned ormonitored Use appropriatefieldworkers Monitor qualityduring research Collect informationfrom multiple sources Manage ethical &logistic issues

11. Sampling MARA Venue based Institution based Chain Referral Respondent Driven Sampling Network recruitment Snowball sampling Convenience Combined sampling approaches

12. Developing Indicators • Research design workshop, Belgrade • Integrating risk and vulnerability measures • Ensuring ability to compile UNGASS indicators • All MARA behaviours included • ≈40 standardised core indicators + flexibility for country-specific topics

13. Data Collection Tools • LSHTM drafted male & female core questionnaires • Colour-coded core and recommended questions • Feedback incorporated from country teams • Each country adapted, translated and pilot tested • Guidelines distributed for compiling indicators

14. Core Questionnaires Eligibility criteria Demographic profile Injecting drug use (frequency, drug choice, and sharing practices) HIV knowledge Sexual behaviour (including commercial & casual partnerships) MSM behaviour Access and use of services (including condoms & HIV testing) Experience of detention

15. Baseline Studies:Preliminary Results

16. Focus on Risk Young IDU in Serbia, Romania, Moldova, Albania Young sex workers in Romania & Albania Young MSM in Albania & Moldova Focus on Vulnerability Young people in Roma settlements in Montenegro Institutionalised settings in BiH & Moldova Street children in Ukraine Diversity of Study Populations & Methods

17. Sample Populations: IDU

18. Example RDS sample

19. Sample Populations: SW

20. Sample Populations: Other

21. LSHTM Analysis Analysis conducted for 6 data sets • Romania FSW • Romania IDU • Serbia IDU • Moldova IDU • Montenegro Roma • Ukrainian street children

22. LSHTM Analysis Standardisation across data sets Age range limited to 15-24EXCEPT for Ukraine (10-19 yrs) Selection of indicators that maximise comparability across the region Disaggregation by country, age and sex Chi-square test for statistical significance (& Fischers exact test where numbers <5 per cell)

23. Data Quality • Strengths - Relatively good quality re: internal consistency within data sets • Weaknesses - Caution required in interpretation of some variables due to small numbers • Some variation in way questions were asked • Cleaning issues – Skip patterns not all followed correctly, making it difficult to choose questions for compiling indicators

24. Sample sizes & gender distribution

25. Age distribution

26. Injecting Drug Use

27. IDU Risk Profiles

28. IDU • Diversity of injecting drug use patterns among the study samples • Moldova has a greater % of young IDU, but injecting behaviour is sporadic • In Montenegro, no IDU behaviours reported among IDP Roma • Sex workers who inject drugs may have riskier behaviour and poorer service use

29. Sexual Risk Profile

30. Condom Use with different partners

31. Sexual Behaviour • All studies found high rates of sexual experience, including among adolescents. • Sexual experience increases with age • Condom use follows familiar pattern, with decreasing consistency for longer term partners • MSM behaviours rare, with exception of Montenegro and Ukraine sites.

32. Use of Services

33. Service Use • Pharmacies appear acceptable source of both injecting equipment and condoms • Knowledge of services higher than use • Surprising number of respondents ever tested for HIV, and this increases with age • Low use of rehabilitation services, especially among adolescents.

34. Contextual Factors

35. Knowledge by Age * * * *** *** * *** * * *** *** *** ** ** ** **

36. Service use by Age *** * *** * *** *** * *** ** *** *** *** ** * **

37. Enhanced Vulnerability • Younger cohorts have poorer knowledge of HIV transmission and are less likely to seek formal services • Detention & harassment by police a regular event, especially for boys • Adolescent sex workers report more experience of forced sex and are less likely to use condoms consistently • Association between younger age and child protection institutionalisation

38. Vulnerability by Sex

39. Vulnerability by Sex • Girls experience unmet need for other reproductive health, especially contraception. • Girls report higher rates of forced sex • Sex work is NOTalways higher among girls • The steady partners of female IDU are more likely to also be IDU than among males.

40. Moving Forwards Extending programmes that already work with IDU and sex workers – addressing overlaps Considering links between harm reduction & child protection Using “entry points” identified by research – i.e. willingness of adolescents to visit pharmacies Addressing legal & institutional barriers

41. Next Steps: Qualitative Studies • Interviews and focus group discussions conducted in Ukraine with MARA sex workers • Formative interviews with MARA MSM, sex workers and providers in Moldova • Focus group with IDU and interviews with sex workers in Romania • Rapid assessment with IDU planned in Moldova to define intervention

42. Next Steps: Intervention Studies • Ukraine – frontline services for street based sex workers in Mykolaev • Romania – referral link network developed between child protection services and health providers • Moldova – peer delivered intervention to reduce injection initiation under consideration • M&E frameworks developed to guide process and output evaluations

43. Future Steps • Write-up of baseline results (1 paper in press) • Intervention and M&E framework developed for Moldova • Process evaluation workshop in Ukraine; qualitative data analysis • Follow up on intervention research in Romania • Extend model to other countries (?)

44. Lessons Learned Focused, country-specific technical assistance more effective In depth research in a small number of countries better than “standardised” capacity building for many countries Regional workshops to compare study designs and results useful to national researchers Need more than 3 years to conduct baseline, qualitative and evaluation research components

45. Striking a balance…. Regional standardisation Countryspecific priorities Feasible in programmetimeframe Scientific rigour Data for monitoring Data for policy advocacy Shared learning Tailored support