Trial results for the PeerNaija mobile health platform, designed to incentivize medication adherence among youth living with HIV in Nigeria, were posted on ClinicalTrials.gov on 2025-11-25. The study enrolled 54 participants.
Background
HIV/AIDS remains a significant global health challenge, particularly among adolescents and young adults who face unique barriers to consistent medication adherence. In settings like Nigeria, factors such as stigma, limited access to care, and the demands of daily life can complicate adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART), which is crucial for viral suppression and preventing disease progression. Mobile health (mHealth) interventions offer a promising avenue to support adherence by providing reminders, monitoring, and incentives. This pilot study explored the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a mobile application incorporating social and financial incentives.
Trial design
This completed study, designated as Phase NA, enrolled 54 participants living with HIV/AIDS. The trial investigated the PeerNaija application, a mobile health platform featuring routine medication reminders, individual adherence monitoring with scores, anonymized peer adherence scores, and a monthly lottery-based prize for youth with the highest adherence scores. Participants were divided into two groups: a "Social Incentive" group and a "Social Plus Financial Incentive" group, to assess the impact of different incentive structures on feasibility, acceptability, adoption, and preliminary efficacy of clinical measures.
Key results
The trial reported several key measurements related to recruitment, retention, intervention characteristics, and preliminary efficacy:
- Recruitment Rate:
- In the Social Incentive group, 26 participants were recruited.
- In the Social Plus Financial Incentive group, 28 participants were recruited.
- Retention Rate:
- In the Social Incentive group, 19 participants were retained.
- In the Social Plus Financial Incentive group, 23 participants were retained.
- Feasibility of Intervention (score on a scale):
- The Social Incentive group showed a mean score of 4.0 (Standard Deviation 0.7).
- The Social Plus Financial Incentive group showed a mean score of 4.0 (Standard Deviation 0.7).
- Acceptability of Intervention (score on a scale):
- The Social Incentive group showed a mean score of 4.2 (Standard Deviation 0.6).
- The Social Plus Financial Incentive group showed a mean score of 4.0 (Standard Deviation 0.7).
- Appropriateness of Intervention (score on a scale):
- The Social Incentive group showed a mean score of 4.2 (Standard Deviation 0.6).
- The Social Plus Financial Incentive group showed a mean score of 4.0 (Standard Deviation 0.8).
- Preliminary Efficacy of Intervention on Viral Load:
- In the Social Incentive group, 16 participants demonstrated preliminary efficacy on viral load.
- In the Social Plus Financial Incentive group, 18 participants demonstrated preliminary efficacy on viral load.
What this means
The results indicate that the PeerNaija mobile health platform demonstrated strong feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness among youth living with HIV in Nigeria, with mean scores consistently at 4.0 or higher on a scale. Both the social incentive and social plus financial incentive arms showed similar positive outcomes across these measures. The preliminary efficacy data on viral load, represented by the count of participants, suggests a potential positive impact, warranting further investigation in larger, controlled studies to definitively assess the platform's effect on medication adherence and clinical outcomes in this vulnerable population.
Source
The information regarding these trial results was obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov, a public database of clinical studies. The results for the study NCT04930198, titled "PeerNaija: A Mobile Health Platform Incentivizing Medication Adherence Among Youth Living With HIV in Nigeria", were posted on 2025-11-25 on clinicaltrials.gov.