Assessing the Effects of a Multisectoral Agricultural Intervention on the Reproductive and Sexual Health of Adolescent Girls and Young Women

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · Apr 29, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying the effects of a new program called Shamba Maisha, which means "farm life" in Kiswahili, aimed at improving the reproductive and sexual health of adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in Western Kenya. The program focuses on reducing food insecurity and poverty, which are major issues linked to a higher risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV among young women. The trial will involve 800 AGYW aged 15-19, along with their caregivers, from selected schools in Kisumu and Migori counties. Participants will receive training in agriculture, tools to help with farming, and support to strengthen relationships with their caregivers.

To be eligible for the trial, AGYW must be assigned female at birth, attend one of the selected schools, and have a caregiver who can participate. They should also be facing challenges related to food insecurity. Participants will be followed for 18 months, during which they will complete surveys and undergo STI testing to see how well the program works. The goal is to find out if this farming intervention can help improve health outcomes and reduce the risk of STIs and HIV among young women in these communities.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• Adolescent Girls and Young women (AGYW):
• • AGYW assigned female at birth
• • Between 15-19 years of age at enrollment
• • Attending the selected schools with at least 18 months remaining of schooling
• • STI-uninfected and not pregnant at baseline
• • Has an adult caregiver willing to participate
• • Demonstrates moderate to severe FI based on the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS), and/or malnutrition (BMI less than two standard deviations below the mean for age-specific BMI
• Caregiver:
• • At least 18 years old.
• • At least 1 AGYW aged 15-19 years old attending the selected schools
• • household has access to farming land
• • household has available surface water in the form of lakes, rivers, ponds, or shallow wells (home is 200m from permanent water source)
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • AGYW or adult caregivers who have inadequate cognitive and/or hearing capacity to complete planned study procedures
• • AGYW or adult caregivers who do not speak Dholuo, Kiswahili, or English
• • Married AGYW and those who serve as heads of households
• • AGYW who are pregnant at screening
• • Adolescent girls who test positive for gonorrhea or chlamydia at screening will be invited to re-screen at least 14 days after receiving treatment and will be eligible to enroll if they have a confirmatory negative STI test.