The following are some of the the Completed studies: FASTOM Study, Tobacco study, SSRC Study – COVID-19, EMERGE and SIENA Study.
Study 1: Tobacco Study
Study Summary: A cross-sectional mixed method study that was nested in the AMBSO Population Health Surveillance (APHS). The study aimed at determining the prevalence and factors associated with tobacco use among youths aged 18-35 years as well as explore motivators for continued use and or cessation.
The study analyzed APHS data to determine the prevalence of Tobacco use among youths. In-depth interviews were conducted among participants who reported continued tobacco use and those that reported having stopped. Additionally, Key Informant interviews with the tobacco control intervention implementers were also conducted. Period when the study was conducted: Data collection: APHS R2 - October 2019 to September 2020 Publication: June, 2024 Principal Investigator: Alex Daama, MPH Study Sponsor: Center for Tobacco Control in Africa Study site: AMBSO – Nansana Research Site, Wakiso, Uganda Key results: A total of 3.2 % reported current tobacco smoking while 5.9% ever used tobacco. In the multivariable analysis, age groups 25-29 years and 30-35 years were more likely to smoke compared to those under 25 years of age.
Study 2: SSRC – COVID-19 Study
Study Summary: A cross-sectional mixed method study that was nested in the AMBSO Population Health Surveillance (APHS). The study explored the influence of Community Stakeholders and development partners inclined to religion on perceptions, practices and efforts towards the control of COVID 19.
Quantitative data was collected by a structured questionnaire from 330 APHS participants who had earlier participated in a mid-year telephone survey conducted two months after the outbreak of the COVID 19 pandemic in Uganda.
24 Key informant interviews (KIIs) were conducted at each participant’s convenient place of privacy while adhering to the COVID 19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) Period when the study was conducted:
Community mapping exercise and Data collection: November 2020 to May 2021
Submission of the report: June, 2021 Principal Investigator: Fred Nalugoda, PhD Study Sponsor: Social Sciences Research Council (SSRC)
Study site: AMBSO – Nansana Research Site, Wakiso, Uganda Key results: 82% of the population had comprehensive knowledge on the causes and modes of transmission, while knowledge on recommended ways of prevention and control of COVID-19 was found to also be at 87%. Key prevention and control measures were well accepted and put into practice including; hand washing, social distancing and wearing face masks which was as well observed to be closely similar across different religious denominations.
Study 3: SIENA Study
Study Summary: SIENA (EStimating HIV incidEnce amoNng Adolescent Girls and Young Women- AGYWs) was a collaborative study between AMBSO and Makerere University Johns Hopkins university Research Collaboration (MUJHU). The aim of the study was to estimate HIV incidence among AGYWs aged 16-25 years who are at a high risk of getting HIV in the aforementioned districts and also, to compare HIV incidence estimated using the Asanté™ HIV-1 Rapid Recency® Assay POC kit with that obtained using Sedia™ HIV-1 LAg-Avidity EIA and Abbort ACRHITECT Avidity EIA assays. Period when the study was conducted: Study implementation dates: May 2021 and November, 2021
Results and Publication: AIDS Conference, 2022 Principal Investigator:
Dr. Fred Nalugoda (Co-PI), Dr. Francis Kiweewa (Co-PI) & Dr. Godfrey Kigozi (Co-PI)
Study Sponsor: Gilead Sciences Inc. Study site: AMBSO – Hoima Research Sites Key results: Of 743 women enrolled 191 were diagnosed with HIV, 44 (23%) had a VL of < 75 copies/mL. Out of the remaining 147 samples, the LAg-EIA and ARCHITECT assays identified 37 (19.4%) and 26 (13.6%) as recent, respectively (Table 1). A total of 130 samples were identified the same by both assays. Out of the 17 samples that were classified differently, 3 were called recent infections by the ARCHITECT assay but not by the LAg-EIA, and 14 were called recent by the LAg-EIA but long-term by the ARCHITECT. Based on the recency results, the calculated bHIV-IR was 11.4/100 PY with the LAg-EIA assay and 6.84/100 PY with the ARCHITECT assay.
Study 4: EMERGE Study
Study Summary: A cross-sectional study nested in the AMBSO population health surveillance (APHS), to collect data on novel COVID-19 EMERGE measures. The Evidence-based Measures of Empowerment for Research on Gender Equity (EMERGE) initiative focus on improving measurement of gender equality and empowerment through the development, consolidation and validation of surveys and scales that measure aspects of gender equity and empowerment Period when the study was conducted:
Study implementation: June 2020 and March 2021 Publication: February, 2022 Principal Investigators:
Prof. Jennifer Wagman (the US Principal Investigator), Dr. Amanda P. Miller (US Co-Investigator) & Mr. Stephen Mugamba (the Uganda Principal Investigator) Study Sponsor: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation grant through the University of California – San Diego Study site: AMBSO – Nansana and Hoima Research Sites
Key results: 56% of participants were female and HIV prevalence in the entire sample was 8.3%. Nearly all (97.7%) participants indicated taking some action to prevent becoming infected with the SARS coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Nearly all (99.1%) participants did not think any households in their community had been infected with SARS-CoV-2, many reported increases in their community in the following since the start of the pandemic and social containment efforts.
