Effectiveness, Acceptability and Feasibility of Technology-Enabled Health Interventions for Adolescents Living with HIV in Low-and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review

Review synthesized the evidence for the effectiveness, acceptability, and feasibility of technology-enabled health interventions for adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV) in low and middle-income countries (LMIC). Methods: Eight electronic databases (Ebscohost, CINAHL, ERIC, MEDLINE, PubMed, SCOPUS, Science Direct, and Sabinet) and Google Scholar were searched to identify studies in LMIC published from 2010 to 2022. Quantitative and qualitative studies reporting on technology-enabled health interventions for predominantly adolescents (10–19 years) were included. The review was performed and findings reported according to PRISMA-P, and the review was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42022336330). Results: There is weak evidence that technology-enabled health interventions for ALHIV in LMIC improve treatment outcomes; however, most interventions appear acceptable and feasible. Conclusion: There is a need to ensure technology-enabled interventions have a strong theoretical base. Larger studies with rigorous evaluation designs are needed to determine the effects of these interventions on the health outcomes of ALHIV in LMIC.

Paul B Tchounwou, Carl A Latkin, Talitha Crowley, Charné Petinger, Azia Ivo Nchendia, Brian Van Wyk