Zithandani Stepping Stones and Creating Futures - Phase 2 Pilot

Adapting an Evidenced-based Intervention to Reduce IPV for Use Among Young Heterosexual Couples in South Africa - Zithandani SSCF - Phase 2: Pilot

The goal of this uncontrolled intervention study is to assess whether Zithandani Stepping Stones and Creating Futures is feasible to deliver, acceptable for participants, safe for participants and to estimate effect sizes, in young (ages 18-40 years) heterosexual couples, living in urban informal settlements in eThekwini Municipality, South Africa. The main questions it aims to answer are:

1. Is Zithandani SSCF feasible to deliver to young couples, and what are the barriers and opportunities in intervention delivery?
2. Is Zithandani SSCF acceptable to participants? What do they like and what do they not like about the intervention?
3. Is Zithandani SSCF safe for female participants and do they engage adequately?
4. Does Zithandani SSCF show indication of positive change on key indicators and what are the effect sizes?

Participants will be recruited as heterosexual couples and participate in 14 sessions, each approximately 3 hours long, with between 4 and 6 other couples, focused on gender norms, livelihoods and communication.

Individual inclusion:

• Aged 18-40 years,
• Reside in the selected community
• Not in full time permanent employment, or in full-time education
• Able to communicate in the main languages of the study (English, isiXhosa or isiZulu)
• Able and willing to provide informed consent to participate

Joint inclusion criteria:

• Be a heterosexual couple
• Been together in a relationship for a minimum of 6 months
• Relationship is public knowledge
• Willing to participate in an intervention

Exclusion criteria individuals is as follows:

• Under 18 or 41+ years old
• Planning on leaving the community in the next 3 months
• Unable or unwilling to provide informed consent
• Unable to communicate in the main study languages

Joint couples exclusion criteria

• Relationship is not public knowledge
• Have been together for less than 6 months