title: A cluster randomized-controlled trial of a community mobilization intervention to change gender norms and reduce HIV risk in rural South Africa: study design and intervention.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Community mobilization (CM) interventions show promise in changing gender norms and preventing HIV, but few have been based on a defined mobilization model or rigorously evaluated. The purpose of this paper is to describe the intervention design and implementation and present baseline findings of a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) of a two-year, theory-based CM intervention that aimed to change gender norms and reduce HIV risk in rural Mpumalanga province, South Africa.
  
  
  METHODS
  Community Mobilizers and volunteer Community Action Teams (CATs) implemented two-day workshops, a range of outreach activities, and leadership engagement meetings. All activities were mapped onto six theorized mobilization domains. The intervention is being evaluated by a randomized design in 22 communities (11 receive intervention). Cross-sectional, population-based surveys were conducted with approximately 1,200 adults ages 18-35 years at baseline and endline about two years later.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is among the first community RCTs to evaluate a gender transformative intervention to change norms and HIV risk using a theory-based, defined mobilization model, which should increase the potential for impact on desired outcomes and be useful for future scale-up if proven effective.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02129530.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. apettif@email.unc.edu.|Honorary appointments at MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt) and Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute (WHRI), University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. apettif@email.unc.edu.|Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. apettif@email.unc.edu.
authors.forename: Audrey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pettifor
authors.affiliation: Center for AIDS Prevention Studies (CAPS), Department of Medicine, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Sheri A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Lippman
authors.affiliation: Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Amanda M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Selin
authors.affiliation: Sonke Gender Justice, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Dean
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Peacock
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gottert
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Behavior, University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maman
authors.affiliation: Sonke Gender Justice, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Dumisani
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rebombo
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Chirayath M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Suchindran
authors.affiliation: MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Rhian
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Twine
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lancaster
authors.affiliation: US Department of State, Lusaka, Zambia.
authors.forename: Tamu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Daniel
authors.affiliation: MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: F Xavier
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Gómez-Olivé
authors.affiliation: MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kahn
authors.affiliation: Honorary appointments at MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt) and Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute (WHRI), University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.|CRN for Mental Health and Wellbeing, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: MacPhail
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019058:Community Networks / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012107:Research Design; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome