The effect of a combined mHealth and community health worker intervention on HIV self-management

To identify demographic, social, and clinical factors associated with HIV self-management and evaluate whether the CHAMPS intervention is associated with changes in an individual's HIV self-management. This study was a secondary data analysis from a randomized controlled trial evaluating the effects of the CHAMPS, a mHealth intervention with community health worker sessions, on HIV self-management in New York City (NYC) and Birmingham. Group comparisons and linear regression analyses identified demographic, social, and clinical factors associated with HIV self-management. We calculated interactions between groups (CHAMPS intervention and standard of care) over time (6 and 12 months) following the baseline observation, indicating a difference in the outcome scores from baseline to each time across groups. Our findings indicate that missing medical appointments, uncertainty about accessing care, and lack of adherence to antiretroviral therapy are associated with lower HIV self-management. For the NYC site, the CHAMPS showed a statistically significant positive effect on daily HIV self-management (estimate = 0.149, SE = 0.069, 95% CI [0.018 to 0.289]). However, no significant effects were observed for social support or the chronic nature of HIV self-management. At the Birmingham site, the CHAMPS did not yield statistically significant effects on HIV self-management outcomes. Our study suggests that CHAMPS intervention enhances daily self-management activities for people with HIV at the NYC site, indicating a promising improvement in routine HIV care. Further research is necessary to explore how various factors influence HIV self-management over time across different regions.