Mentor Moms+: a community-led plan to cut alcohol use and HIV risk during pregnancy in South Africa
Official title: A community-based adaptation of a peer-led intervention to address alcohol use and HIV risk in pregnant women in South Africa (Mentor Moms+)
Funded at University of California Los Angeles · NIH-11612340 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A community-based program adapts a trusted peer-led model to help pregnant and lactating people reduce alcohol use and HIV risk in South Africa.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $99,112 |
| NIH project number | 3R34AA030942-03S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11612340 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Pregnant or lactating people in South Africa who use alcohol and are at risk for HIV, including those living with HIV and those not living with HIV.
✕Less likely to help
Pregnant or lactating people who do not use alcohol or who are not at risk for HIV may not benefit from this specific intervention.
What this research studies
This project adapts a proven mentor-mother approach to reach pregnant and lactating people who drink alcohol and are at risk for HIV. It uses community collaboration to identify what drives alcohol use in pregnancy and tailors support from experienced mothers to promote safer behaviors and better engagement with HIV prevention and treatment. The study will test feasibility by delivering an alcohol-reduction and HIV-prevention intervention within and outside antenatal clinics, with attention to local context and multi-stakeholder feedback. Researchers plan mixed-methods to understand acceptability, barriers, and facilitators before a larger trial.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could improve HIV prevention, ART/PrEP engagement, and maternal-child health during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
How similar studies have gone: The mentor-mother model has shown success in improving HIV and antenatal care outcomes in similar settings, supporting adaptation to this context.
Where this research is happening
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University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Joseph Davey, Dvora Leah — University of California Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Joseph Davey, Dvora Leah
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Mentor Moms+: community-led support to reduce alcohol use and HIV risk for pregnant people in South Africa
A community-based program uses trained mentor mothers to help pregnant and breastfeeding people who use alcohol reduce risk for HIV and improve care in South Africa.
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Mentor Moms+ peer support to reduce alcohol use and HIV risk in pregnant and breastfeeding people in South Africa
This project will adapt a peer mentor program to help pregnant and breastfeeding people in South Africa cut down on alcohol use and get timely HIV prevention and treatment support.
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Peer mentor support to reduce drinking and HIV risk during pregnancy in South Africa
This project offers a peer-mentor program to help pregnant and breastfeeding people who drink alcohol reduce drinking and stay connected to HIV prevention or treatment services in South Africa.
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Helping pregnant women in South Africa reduce alcohol use and HIV risk
This study is all about helping pregnant and new moms in South Africa who are dealing with alcohol use and the risk of HIV; it uses support from other experienced moms to encourage healthier choices and connect them with important health services.
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Biomarkers to detect recent heavy drinking in veterans
A doctor-scientist team is testing blood biomarkers to better identify recent excessive alcohol use in veterans so clinicians can screen, counsel, and care for those at risk.
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This grant studies how heavy alcohol use and anxiety symptoms interact in young adults (ages 18–34) and what biological stress markers might reveal about that relationship.
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.