Video selection and assessment for an app-based HIV prevention messaging intervention: formative research

Area of Science:

• Public health
• Mobile health (mHealth)
• HIV/STI prevention

Background:

• Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) are disproportionately affected by HIV in the U.S.
• Tailored HIV prevention and care interventions are crucial for reducing new infections.
• Mobile technology offers a platform for targeted messaging and access to prevention services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the iterative process of selecting publicly available videos for the Mobile Messaging for Men (M-Cubed) intervention.
• To assess the acceptability, comprehension, and audience reach of selected video messages among GBMSM.
• To inform the development of mobile health interventions utilizing video content for HIV prevention.

Main Methods:

• A formative study involving in-person interviews with 26 GBMSM from three major U.S. cities.
• Qualitative content analysis of interviews to identify key themes.
• Selection criteria for videos included scientific accuracy, length, and relevance to specific GBMSM subgroups and prevention domains.

Main Results:

• Five key themes emerged: participant reactions, message comprehension, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) concerns, message targeting, and prompted action.
• A final selection of 12 video messages was made for a randomized controlled trial.
• Participant feedback guided the refinement of video content and targeting strategies.

Conclusions:

• The study successfully identified and selected culturally relevant and acceptable video messages for an mHealth HIV prevention intervention.
• Findings provide a framework for researchers developing video-based HIV prevention interventions.
• Emphasizes the need for diverse and inclusive video content in health promotion for GBMSM.