Tajik Migrant Health Education Study

Overview

This study will test the efficacy of a peer-education prevention intervention to reduce risky drug, alcohol, and sexual behaviors among male Tajik labor migrants who inject drugs (MWID) while working in Moscow. The peer educator intervention will be compared to a health education control intervention. Each intervention consists of 5 weekly 2-hour small group sessions. Follow-up assessments will be conducted at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after the intervention. It is hypothesized that, compared to MWID who receive the health education control intervention, those who receive the peer educator intervention will have a greater reduction in the frequency of risk behaviors. Similar effects are expected for network members of intervention participants.

The investigators will recruit male Tajik migrants who inject drugs from 12 different sites in Moscow, including bazaars and other work sites. In both study arms, the recruited men (index participants) will be required to recruit two eligible MWID peers for interviews prior to being interviewed themselves. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the peer educator intervention program or the health education intervention program. After peer-recruited network members are enrolled and interviewed, the index participant will participate in the peer educator training or the control group activities. All participants and recruited network members will then be followed and re-interviewed at 3-month intervals for one year to assess changes in risky drug, alcohol, and sexual behaviors due to intervention participation and through diffusion to network members. The investigators will also collect data from voluntary HIV and HCV testing conducted at 6 months (HCV only) and at 12 months (HIV and HCV) post-intervention.