Pre-test Brief for the Positive Living Campaign Materials:

Background

Health Communication Partnership is in the process of designing materials for its positive living communication campaign. The target audience for this campaign are people living with HIV(PLHIV) who are currently on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and those who have not yet enrolled.A number of english client education materials on diarrhoea, early TB testing and treatment, malaria, nutrition among others were developed and pretested with target audiences in different regions of Uganda.The materials have further been translated into different languages that include luganda, the 4Rs (Rutooro, Runyoro, Runyankole/Rukiga) and Luo, Before the materials are finalized and distributed to partners, HCP is planning to pre-test the translated materials in order to ensure that the language used is acceptable and easily understood by the target audience. Respondents will be drawn from the districts of Kampala, Gulu, Masindi, Fortportal and Mbarara.

Objectives for the Pre-test:

The objectives of the pre-test exercise are to:

  1. Find out if the audiences can easily understand the messages contained in the different materials.
  2. To establish whether the pre-test audiences relate to the materials.
  3. To establish whether there is anything that is offensive/confusing in the materials.
  4. To collect feedback about likes, dislikes and possible suggestions for improving the wording and layout of materials.

Pre-test Methodology:

Five Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) each comprising of 8–12 respondents will be conducted in the selected districts targeting both HIV positive adult men and women aged between 18-49 years. The FGD respondents will be selected by local mobilizers with the help of HCP Partner staff working in each of the districts.The FGDs will be conducted by male and female graduate Research Assistants who will be recruited from a pool normally used by HCP. They will undergo a half day training workshop where they will be oriented about the positive living communication campaign, client education materials developed , tools to be used in the pre-test exercise as well as writing the pre-test report.

Selection and screening of FGD respondents:

HCP will work with Staff of partner organizations in each of the two districts to identify local mobilizers who will selectand invite FGD respondents. They will mobilize FGD participants with the following characteristics:

  • Adults aged between 18 – 49 years.
  • Can speak and read the language in which the specific materials have been translated.
  • Tested HIV positive and disclosed status.
  • Already taking ARVs or not yet enrolled on ARVs.
  • Not a leader of a positive living club or any psycho-social support group.
  • Not HIV/AIDS peer educators, expert clients or health educators. Community leaders who include religious, cultural, political or heads of VHTs.

The screening criteria will be sent out to the identified mobilizers before identification of FGD respondents. Before commencing the group discussions, the Research Assistants will screen the mobilized respondents for the above characteristics so that those who do not qualify are not allowed to participate in the FGDs.

Focus Groups:

The focus groups will be organized as follows:

District / Brochures to be pre-tested / Type of FGD / No. of FGDs / No. of Respondents
Gulu / -Diarrhoea
-Early TB testing and Treatment
-Nutrition
-Malaria / Males aged 18–30 years / 1 / 12
Masindi / -Diarrhoea
-Early TB testing and Treatment
-Nutrition
-Malaria / Females aged 30 – 49 years / 1 / 12
Fort portal / -Diarrhoea
-Early TB testing and Treatment
-Nutrition
-Malaria / Males aged 30 – 49 years / 1 / 12
Kampala / --Diarrhoea
-Early TB testing and Treatment
-Nutrition
-Malaria / Females aged 18 – 30 years / 1 / 12
Mbarara / -Diarrhoea
-Early TB testing and Treatment
-Nutrition
-Malaria / Males aged 30 – 49 years / 1 / 12
Total / 5 / 60

Focus Group Venues:

The local mobilizers with the help of Partner Staff in each of the five districts will be tasked with identifying and hiring venues for FGDs. The selected venues for the FGDs should be:

  • Within the health facility where the FGD respondents normally come to get services.
  • Devoid of interruptions like noise and people.
  • Private to allow people to express their opinions without fear.

Pre-test Timelines:

A total of six FGDs will be conducted during the pre-test exercise with three in each of the districts. The pre-test exercise will be conducted following the schedule below:

Day / Time / Activity
Morning (10am) / Pre-test briefing & orientation
Afternoon / Travel to the respective districts
9am -5pm / 
Conduct FGDs
Morning / 
Travel Back to Kampala
Morning (10am) / Debriefing
Morning (10am) / Presentation of the final pre-test report

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