DOI: 10.13020/s565-yx03
title: Training Health Professionals in Tanzania: Effects of an Afrocentric Sexual Health Education Curriculum for Medical, Nursing and Midwifery Students (Randomized Controlled Trial Data)

description: "Training for Health Professionals” was a randomized, controlled, single-blind, trial conducted at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. As part of the study, 412 medical, nursing and midwifery students were stratified by discipline, completed baseline assessments, then randomized to attend a 4-day sexual health workshop (intervention, n=206) or to a waitlist control (n=206). The workshop curriculum covered sexual health across the lifespan, male and female sexual dysfunctions, key populations (LGBT), sexual violence, clinical skills building, ethics, policy writing, and cultural considerations. Primary outcomes were sexual health knowledge, attitudes, and clinical skills. The primary outcomes of sexual health knowledge and attitudes were assessed at baseline, post-intervention (intervention group only), and 3-month follow-up via a quantitative survey. This survey also included demographic information, education background, and evaluation of the sexual health workshop. The primary outcome of clinical skills was assessed at baseline and 3-month follow-up via videotaped standardized patient (SP) interviews. Each of the videos (2 at baseline, 2 at follow-up) was independently rated by an expert (a faculty member) and the patient (the SP actor). After each interview participants completed a survey reflecting on their performance as a student clinician. At the end of the follow-up videos, participants completed a survey evaluating the standardized patient experience (SPE). In sum, this record includes an Excel file with the data codebook (also provided as six separate CSV files for accessibility) and five CSV data files covering the above outcomes. The responses were de-identified as described below in the README file.
description: PARTICIPANTS. Eligibility criteria for this study were: (a) Current student at MUHAS in midwifery, nursing, or medicine; (b) in their 3rd or 4th year (for medical students) or 2nd or 3rd year (nursing and midwifery students) so they would have sustained patient contact in the three months following the seminar and be on campus for the follow-up; (c) able to attend the full 4-day training during the first week of student vacation; (d) fluent in English (the language of instruction at MUHAS) and Kiswahili (the lingua franca in Tanzania); and (e) willing to volunteer and complete all evaluation procedures. QUANTITATIVE SURVEY. All participants were required to complete the online Qualtrics baseline survey on tablets at the study office. The survey took about 60 minutes to complete and covered demographic information, educational background, sexual health knowledge, and attitudes toward sexual health topics. Immediately after the training, intervention arm participants completed a Qualtrics post-test survey that covered the same sexual health knowledge and attitudes toward sexual health topic items and asked participants to evaluate the sexual health training workshop (90 minutes). Three to four months later, both intervention and control group participants completed an online follow-up survey that assessed their sexual health knowledge and attitudes toward sexual health topics (90 minutes). Note, the waitlist control group also had the opportunity to participate in and evaluate the sexual health workshop after the completion of the randomized control trial. All the survey data from baseline, post-test, and follow-up data collection were combined into one CSV file (Quantitative_Survey_Data; 597KB). Only the quantitative responses from the survey are included in this record. STANDARDIZED PATIENT EXPERIENCE (SPE) SURVEYS. After completing the baseline survey, participants completed two SP interviews. The interviews involved actors role-playing one of four sexual health-related patient scenarios developed by the team. Participants had 10 minutes per scenario to interview the patient and discuss a treatment plan. The four SP cases were: a) a woman who had been physically and sexually assaulted (Sexual Violence; SV), b) a heterosexually married man with situational erectile dysfunction and past homosexual experience (Erectile Dysfunction; ED), c) a 16-year-old girl who is worried she is pregnant from her older “sugar daddy” boyfriend (Adolescent Pregnancy; AP), and d) a young heterosexual man with penile discharge, groin pain, and a history of paying for sex (Penile Drip; PD). The participants were randomly assigned two of the four scenarios which they completed at baseline. Then they completed the remaining two scenarios at follow-up. &gt; Faculty Ratings. In their videotaped SP scenarios, participants were rated on their interpersonal communication (IC) skills and their ability to uncover a patient’s medical history (MH). Each of the SP scenarios was rated by one MUHAS faculty member who was part of the research team. Ratings were collected via an online Qualtrics survey. &gt; SP Ratings. Participants were also rated on their interpersonal communication (IC) skills and their ability to uncover a patient’s medical history (MH). by the SP actor that they interviewed. Ratings were collected via an online Qualtrics survey. &gt; Student Clinician (SC) Items. After each video interview, participants completed an online Qualtrics survey reflecting on how they performed as a student clinician (SC). &gt; Evaluation of the Standardized Patient Experience (ESPE) Items. At the end of follow-up data collection, participants completed an online Qualtrics survey evaluating the SPE. All the survey responses and ratings for the SPE were combined across baseline and follow-up data collection but separated into four separate CSV files: faculty ratings (178KB), SP ratings (171KB), SC items (70KB), and ESPE items (11KB). The quantitative responses and ratings from the SPE are included in this record.