Full title:
Participatory development of audio-delivered interventions and written material and assessment of their impact on the perception and knowledge of and attitudes towards leprosy: a cluster randomised trial in Nigeria
Project coordination
RedAid Nigeria
Partners
German Leprosy and Relief Association Germany (GLRA)
Leprosy and TB Relief Initiative Nigeria (LTR)
Aim: The study aims to assess the impact of an audio-delivered intervention on the perception of community members with regard to leprosy in Nigeria, by comparing an audio-delivered intervention with written health education messages
Project summary
In Nigeria, like in many leprosy-endemic countries, leprosy is highly stigmatized. High levels of stigma among community members as well as internalised stigma among persons affected by leprosy often result in negative psychosocial consequences for persons affected and persons with disabilities. To break this vicious cycle, it is important that context-specific behavioural change activities are carried out. Although written material has been successful in improving knowledge and perception, written material is not suitable for populations with low educational levels. Audio-delivered interventions are likely to be more suitable for persons who are unable to read.
The current project aims to assess the impact of an audio-delivered intervention on the perception (knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, emotions) of community members with regard to leprosy in Nigeria by comparing an audio-delivered intervention with written health education messages. The research team aims to answer the following research question: “What is the impact of an audio-delivered intervention compared to written information on the perception (knowledge, attitudes, beliefs) of community members with regard to leprosy in Nigeria?”
The study will include persons affected by leprosy (for the participatory development of the interventions) and community members (the target group of the interventions).
The current study is designed to be a cluster randomised trial comprising:
1. Baseline assessments of knowledge, attitudes, perceptions and emotions of community members in order to develop the audio-delivered content and written material.
2. Baseline assessment of self-esteem and internalized stigma of persons affected by leprosy.
3. Participatory development of the audio-delivered content and written material by persons affected by leprosy. The audio-delivered and written content will be developed based on local beliefs, misconceptions and fears about leprosy identified in the baseline study. A group of persons affected by leprosy will be formed, who will be guided by a researcher to develop the messages and materials (participatory development). The materials will be developed in the main languages spoken in the study areas: Nigerian Pidgin (Cross-River state) and Hausa language (Taraba state).
4. Pilot and implementation of the interventions in Nigeria. This will be done among different groups who will be compared (control group, audio-intervention group, written material group).
5. Evaluation of the interventions and the impact of developing the intervention on persons affected, using the same methods as the baseline study.
The outputs of this study will be an audio-delivered (Audiopedia) and written / printed health education material interventions for education on leprosy, awareness raising and stigma reduction. In addition, all scales will be cross-culturally validated in Nigerian Pidgin and Hausa languages in Nigeria as part of this study.
Impact
Murphy-Okpala N, Dahiru T, Noordende A, et al. 2024. Participatory Development and Assessment of Audio-Delivered Interventions and Written Material and Their Impact on the Perception, Knowledge, and Attitudes Toward Leprosy in Nigeria: Protocol for a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR research protocols.