A set of anonymised datasets produced in a community-based study to investigate self-testing for HIV in Blantyre, Malawi. Taken together the datasets enable replication of findings from the study including estimation of uptake of HIV self-testing (HIVST), analysis of sensitivity/specificity of self-reported self-test results compared to nurse-performed finger prick testing, and investigation of self-reported coercion to self-test

Choko, Augustine

Corbett, Liz

Webb, Emily

Name not available

Uptake, accuracy, safety and linkage into care over two years of promoting annual self-testing for HIV in Blantyre, Malawi: a community-based prospective study

LSHTM Data Compass

 Promoting annual self-testing for HIV in Blantyre, Malawi  1  Uptake, accuracy, safety and linkage into care over two years of promoting annual self-testing for HIV in Blantyre, Malawi:  a community-based prospective study DOI 10.17037/DATA.7 Data Creators Augustine Choko, Emily Webb & Liz Corbett Data Description A set of anonymised datasets produced in a community-based study to investigate self-testing for HIV in Blantyre, Malawi. Taken together the datasets enable replication of findings from the study including estimation of uptake of HIV self-testing (HIVST), analysis of sensitivity/specificity of self-reported self-test results compared to nurse-performed finger prick testing, and investigation of self-reported coercion to self-test. Methods HIVST was made available to 14 neighbourhoods of ~1,200 adult residents each, two of whom were responsible for implementation of recruitment between February 2012 and April 2014. In general, paper-based data collection followed by electronic processing using optical mark reading software (OMR) with Microsoft Access database was used for all data collection tools. A register of all neighbourhood residents who requested (were given) an HIVST kit was kept by the volunteer neighbourhood counsellor. These data were later extracted and electronically processed and gave rise to the HIVST uptake dataset.  For the quality assurance dataset, a systematic sample of HIVST participants was selected for home-visit by study nurses aiming for minimum 5% coverage. Checks included age, confirmation of residency, whether or not HIVST kits had been used, and self-read result with offer of confirmatory testing (finger-prick blood parallel testing with Determine 1/2, Alere, Waltham, USA and Uni-Gold Recombigen HIV, Trinity Biotech, Bray, Ireland). A self-completed questionnaire (SCQ) was given to all participants at the time a HIVST kit was given. The participant was requested to return both the SCQ and the used kit, and to drop them in a sealed ballot box. A self-reported self-test result was then recorded by the participant along with acceptability indicators and whether or not they had been forced to self-test. The returned used kit and the SCQ were sent to the laboratory where technicians re-read all used kits and recorded the result on the SCQ.   Spatial Coverage Blantyre, Malawi. Temporal Coverage Census enumeration: Between April and June 2011. HIVST data collection: Between February 2012 and April 2014. Quality Controls ~5% systematic sample of all HIV self-testing participants re-tested with finger-prick parallel testing by a study nurse. Species: Human population  Promoting annual self-testing for HIV in Blantyre, Malawi  2  Privacy: Data collection was completely anonymous due to the nature of the study design i.e. involving neighbours to provide access to HIVST kits. Therefore, the SCQ which contained HIV results was completely unlinked to any other data collection tools and indeed from the entire process to ensure confidentiality. All the data were anonymised before undertaking any analysis by removing participant identifiers.  Ethics Ethical approval was obtained from the College of Medicine Ethics Review Committee, University of Malawi; London; School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. All participants opting for HIVST provided written (or witnessed thumbprint) informed consent. Keywords HIV, HIV self-testing, home-based; community-based. Language of written material English Additional Information Data collection tools used in the study available upon request by emailing Liz Corbett (liz.corbett@lshtm.ac.uk). Project Information Project Intensified HIV/TB prevention linking home-based HIV testing, including the option of self-testing, with HIV care:  a cluster-randomised trial in Blantyre, Malawi (ISRCTN02004005). Funder/Sponsor Wellcome Trust, UK Grant Number WT091769    Promoting annual self-testing for HIV in Blantyre, Malawi  3  Associated Roles Role Forename Surname Faculty / Dept Institution Data Creator Augustine Choko Epidemiology and Population Health / Infectious Disease Epidemiology London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK Data Creator Emily Webb Epidemiology and Population Health / Infectious Disease Epidemiology London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK Principal Investigator / Data Creator Elizabeth Corbett Infectious and Tropical Diseases / Department of Clinical Research London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK Researcher Peter MacPherson Department of Public Health and Policy (UoL) Department of Clinical Sciences (LSTM) University of Liverpool, UK & Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK Project Member Barbara Willey  London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK Project Member Helena  Feasy  Malawi-Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, Malawi Data Collector Rodrick Sambakunsi  Malawi-Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, Malawi Project Member Aaron Mdolo  Malawi-Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, Malawi Project Member Simon Makombe HIV Unit Ministry of Health, Lilongwe, Malawi Researcher Nicola Desmond Department of Public Health and Policy University of Liverpool, UK Sponsor Richard Hayes  London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK Researcher Hendramoorthy Maheswaran Division of Health Sciences (WMS) Malawi-Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, Malawi Warwick Medical School, Coventry, UK  Promoting annual self-testing for HIV in Blantyre, Malawi  4  File Description Title Filename File type Description Data dictionary DataDictionary_pdf.pdf PDF 1.4 (PDF/A) For each dataset, gives variable name, variable data type, meaning of codes and description of the variable Data Dictionary - Excel DataDictionary_excel.xlsx Microsoft Excel Same as above Sex-age denominators census.txt Tab-delimited text Age and sex denominators from enumeration of households in neighbourhoods included in the study between April and June 2011. HIV self-testing uptake-crude self_testing_individual_crude.txt  Tab-delimited text Data on people accessing HIV self-testing participants, including socio-demographic information and a variable to identify period of HIVST availability. HIV self-testing uptake-revised self_testing_individual_revised.txt Tab-delimited text Revised numbers of HIVST participants estimated by capping the denominator in each neighbourhood-sex-age stratum so that uptake does did not exceed 100% in each any neighbourhood-sex-age stratum. Quality assurance quality_assurance.txt Tab-delimited text Contains two variables to enable estimation of sensitivity and specificity of self-reported HIVST results when compared to finger prick nurse-performed testing in parallel (using two rapid HIV diagnostic kits).  Self completed questionnaire self_completed_questionnaire.txt Tab-delimited text Data from self-testing participants who completed questionnaires given at the time of collecting HIVST kits from a volunteer neighbourhood resident. It contains socio-demographic data, self-reported coercion to self-test, self-reported self-test result and a laboratory technician re-read of returned used kits. UserGuide UserGuide.pdf PDF 1.4 (PDF/A) This document  

 Promoting annual self-testing for HIV in Blantyre, Malawi  
1 
 
Uptake, accuracy, safety and linkage into care over two years 
of promoting annual self-testing for HIV in Blantyre, Malawi:  
a community-based prospective study 
DOI 
10.17037/DATA.7 
Data Creators 
Augustine Choko, Emily Webb & Liz Corbett 
Data Description 
A set of anonymised datasets produced in a community-based study to investigate self-testing for HIV in Blantyre, 
Malawi. Taken together the datasets enable replication of findings from the study including estimation of uptake of 
HIV self-testing (HIVST), analysis of sensitivity/specificity of self-reported self-test results compared to nurse-
performed finger prick testing, and investigation of self-reported coercion to self-test. 
Methods 
HIVST was made available to 14 neighbourhoods of ~1,200 adult residents each, two of whom were responsible for 
implementation of recruitment between February 2012 and April 2014. In general, paper-based data collection 
followed by electronic processing using optical mark reading software (OMR) with Microsoft Access database was used 
for all data collection tools. A register of all neighbourhood residents who requested (were given) an HIVST kit was 
kept by the volunteer neighbourhood counsellor. These data were later extracted and electronically processed and 
gave rise to the HIVST uptake dataset.  
For the quality assurance dataset, a systematic sample of HIVST participants was selected for home-visit by study 
nurses aiming for minimum 5% coverage. Checks included age, confirmation of residency, whether or not HIVST kits 
had been used, and self-read result with offer of confirmatory testing (finger-prick blood parallel testing with 
Determine 1/2, Alere, Waltham, USA and Uni-Gold Recombigen HIV, Trinity Biotech, Bray, Ireland). 
A self-completed questionnaire (SCQ) was given to all participants at the time a HIVST kit was given. The participant 
was requested to return both the SCQ and the used kit, and to drop them in a sealed ballot box. A self-reported self-
test result was then recorded by the participant along with acceptability indicators and whether or not they had been 
forced to self-test. The returned used kit and the SCQ were sent to the laboratory where technicians re-read all used 
kits and recorded the result on the SCQ.   
Spatial Coverage 
Blantyre, Malawi. 
Temporal Coverage 
Census enumeration: Between April and June 2011. 
HIVST data collection: Between February 2012 and April 2014. 
Quality Controls 
~5% systematic sample of all HIV self-testing participants re-tested with finger-prick parallel testing by a study nurse. 
Species: 
Human population 
 Promoting annual self-testing for HIV in Blantyre, Malawi  
2 
 
Privacy: 
Data collection was completely anonymous due to the nature of the study design i.e. involving neighbours to provide 
access to HIVST kits. Therefore, the SCQ which contained HIV results was completely unlinked to any other data 
collection tools and indeed from the entire process to ensure confidentiality. All the data were anonymised before 
undertaking any analysis by removing participant identifiers.  
Ethics 
Ethical approval was obtained from the College of Medicine Ethics Review Committee, University of Malawi; London; 
School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. All participants opting for HIVST 
provided written (or witnessed thumbprint) informed consent. 
Keywords 
HIV, HIV self-testing, home-based; community-based. 
Language of written material 
English 
Additional Information 
Data collection tools used in the study available upon request by emailing Liz Corbett (liz.corbett@lshtm.ac.uk). 
Project Information 
Project 
Intensified HIV/TB prevention linking home-based HIV testing, including the option of self-testing, with HIV care:  a 
cluster-randomised trial in Blantyre, Malawi (ISRCTN02004005). 
Funder/Sponsor 
Wellcome Trust, UK 
Grant Number 
WT091769 
  
 Promoting annual self-testing for HIV in Blantyre, Malawi  
3 
 
Associated Roles 
Role Forename Surname Faculty / Dept Institution 
Data Creator Augustine Choko Epidemiology and Population Health 
/ Infectious Disease Epidemiology 
London School of 
Hygiene & Tropical 
Medicine, UK 
Data Creator Emily Webb Epidemiology and Population Health 
/ Infectious Disease Epidemiology 
London School of 
Hygiene & Tropical 
Medicine, UK 
Principal 
Investigator / 
Data Creator 
Elizabeth Corbett Infectious and Tropical Diseases / 
Department of Clinical Research 
London School of 
Hygiene & Tropical 
Medicine, UK 
Researcher Peter MacPherson Department of Public Health and 
Policy (UoL) 
Department of Clinical Sciences 
(LSTM) 
University of Liverpool, 
UK & Liverpool School 
of Tropical Medicine, 
UK 
Project 
Member 
Barbara Willey  London School of 
Hygiene & Tropical 
Medicine, UK 
Project 
Member 
Helena  Feasy  Malawi-Liverpool 
Wellcome Trust Clinical 
Research Programme, 
Blantyre, Malawi 
Data Collector Rodrick Sambakunsi  Malawi-Liverpool 
Wellcome Trust Clinical 
Research Programme, 
Blantyre, Malawi 
Project 
Member 
Aaron Mdolo  Malawi-Liverpool 
Wellcome Trust Clinical 
Research Programme, 
Blantyre, Malawi 
Project 
Member 
Simon Makombe HIV Unit Ministry of Health, 
Lilongwe, Malawi 
Researcher Nicola Desmond Department of Public Health and 
Policy 
University of Liverpool, 
UK 
Sponsor Richard Hayes  London School of 
Hygiene & Tropical 
Medicine, UK 
Researcher Hendramoorthy Maheswaran Division of Health Sciences (WMS) 
Malawi-Liverpool Wellcome Trust 
Clinical Research Programme, 
Blantyre, Malawi 
Warwick Medical 
School, Coventry, UK 
 Promoting annual self-testing for HIV in Blantyre, Malawi  
4 
 
File Description 
Title Filename File type Description 
Data dictionary DataDictionary_pdf.pdf PDF 1.4 (PDF/A) For each dataset, gives variable name, 
variable data type, meaning of codes and 
description of the variable 
Data Dictionary 
- Excel 
DataDictionary_excel.xlsx Microsoft Excel Same as above 
Sex-age 
denominators 
census.txt Tab-delimited text Age and sex denominators from 
enumeration of households in 
neighbourhoods included in the study 
between April and June 2011. 
HIV self-testing 
uptake-crude 
self_testing_individual_c
rude.txt  
Tab-delimited text Data on people accessing HIV self-testing 
participants, including socio-demographic 
information and a variable to identify 
period of HIVST availability. 
HIV self-testing 
uptake-revised 
self_testing_individual_r
evised.txt 
Tab-delimited text Revised numbers of HIVST participants 
estimated by capping the denominator in 
each neighbourhood-sex-age stratum so 
that uptake does did not exceed 100% in 
each any neighbourhood-sex-age stratum. 
Quality 
assurance 
quality_assurance.txt Tab-delimited text Contains two variables to enable 
estimation of sensitivity and specificity of 
self-reported HIVST results when 
compared to finger prick nurse-performed 
testing in parallel (using two rapid HIV 
diagnostic kits).  
Self completed 
questionnaire 
self_completed_question
naire.txt 
Tab-delimited text Data from self-testing participants who 
completed questionnaires given at the time 
of collecting HIVST kits from a volunteer 
neighbourhood resident. It contains socio-
demographic data, self-reported coercion 
to self-test, self-reported self-test result 
and a laboratory technician re-read of 
returned used kits. 
UserGuide UserGuide.pdf PDF 1.4 (PDF/A) This document 
 


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Uptake, accuracy, safety and linkage into care over two years of promoting annual self-testing for HIV in Blantyre, Malawi: a community-based prospective study

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