Training health students to provide better sexual and reproductive care
Official title: Evaluating the effects of reproductive health training on provider behavior (Supplement)
Funded at University of Minnesota · NIH-11323750 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project teaches medical, nursing, and midwifery students in Tanzania practical sexual and reproductive health skills so they can feel more confident and provide better care.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Minnesota NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2018 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $153,783 |
| NIH project number | 3R01HD092655-08S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11323750 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This project enrolled medical, nursing, and midwifery students at Tanzanian health universities rather than patients, so ideal participants were health professional students at those campuses.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not served by the participating Tanzanian universities or whose providers never receive this training would not experience direct benefit from this project.
What this research studies
The team delivered a comprehensive sexual health curriculum to medical, nursing, and midwifery students at multiple universities in Tanzania and compared outcomes to students who did not receive the curriculum. Students were randomized and the study measured changes in sexual health knowledge, attitudes, and clinical skills using validated tests and simulated clinical evaluations. Results from the randomized trial of 412 students showed moderate-to-large improvements in knowledge, attitudes, and clinical skills among those who received the training. The study also examined acceptability across religious groups and found smaller gains in confidence among Muslim students, pointing to areas for adapting the curriculum.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If adopted more widely, this training could lead to more knowledgeable, confident, and respectful sexual and reproductive health care for patients in Tanzania and similar settings.
How similar studies have gone: A prior randomized trial of the same training with 412 students produced moderate-to-large improvements in knowledge, attitudes, and clinical skills, though some religious-group differences were observed.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rosser, B R Simon — University of Minnesota
- Study coordinator: Rosser, B R Simon
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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.