How neighborhoods, policies, and daily life shape HIV risk and prevention
Multilevel strategies to understand and modify the role of structural and environmental factors in HIV outcomes (LITE-2)
This project follows people age 16 and up who are at higher risk for HIV to learn how laws, neighborhoods, and everyday situations affect HIV risk and prevention over time.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Newark, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11406318 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would join a group of about 5,500 people aged 16 and older across the U.S. and complete an online survey plus a home-based HIV test at enrollment and once a year for three years. For six weeks after joining, you'll get short daily prompts on your phone to report where you are and what you're doing. The team will combine your responses with newly developed measures of state and local policies, social conditions, and neighborhood data to track how context changes risk and prevention behaviors. Much of the participation is remote and designed to adapt to changing digital platforms.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are U.S. residents aged 16 or older who are at higher risk for HIV and willing to complete home testing and short mobile surveys.
Not a fit: People who are not at elevated HIV risk, those already stably treated for HIV, or those unable or unwilling to use mobile phones or home testing are unlikely to receive direct benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could guide prevention programs and policies that better protect young and at-risk people where they live and spend time.
How similar studies have performed: Smaller cohort and mobile-assessment studies have linked behavior to real-time context, but this large, nationwide, multilevel longitudinal approach is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Newark, UNITED STATES
- Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences — Newark, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Taggart, Tamara — Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Taggart, Tamara
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.