ACT’s current research activities

MaBwana Black Men’s Study
Lambda/M-Track
Rejuvenating HIV Prevention for Gay and Bisexual Men
ACCHO’s Keep it alive campaign evaluation
ACT Research Day
ACT Research Advisory Committee
Academic Barriers Study
Party Drugs Study
OHTN Committees
Research and Program Development for ACT

Reports from previous ACT research studies


MaBwana Black Men’s Study
MaBwana is a study of vulnerability to HIV among Black, African and Caribbean gay and bisexual men and other men who have sex with men (MSM) in Toronto. The purpose of the study is to enable HIV prevention programming that is supported by research evidence. The primary objectives of the study are to:

    1. Characterize Black gay, bisexual and MSM in Toronto in terms of their socio-demographic characteristics, sexual relationships and sexual behaviours;
    2. Determine correlates of sexual risk behaviour and differences among Black gay, bisexual and MSM related to their sexual behaviours;
    3. Examine the experiences, influences and decision-making associated with (un)protected sex among Black gay, bisexual and MSM, and how these experiences, influences, decision-making and sexual behaviours may define microcultures;
    4. Understand how Black gay, bisexual and MSM interpret and assess current HIV prevention campaigns, and the extent to which the campaign messages influence their sexual behaviours.

The study involves key informant interviews, and a survey and in depth interviews with Black, African and Caribbean gay and bisexual men and MSM.

MaBwana is funded by the Canadian Institute for Health Research (CIHR), and is an initiative of the African and Caribbean Council on HIV/AIDS in Ontario (ACCHO). It is a 2-year study (estimated completion date is Sept/Oct 2008). The principal investigators on this project are Winston Husbands (ACT and ACCHO) and Clemon George (University of Ontario Institute of Technology and ACCHO).

For more information or to participate contact the MaBwana coordinator by email (mabwana@actoronto.org) or call 416-340-8484 ext. 233


Lambda/M-Track
Lambda is the Ontario arm of the M-Track national surveillance study to monitor trends in HIV prevalence and incidence, sexually transmitted infections, and risk behaviours among men who have sex with men (MSM). Lambda data will facilitate and inform HIV prevention and related programming, and may also contribute to assessing the impact of various interventions on HIV and STI infection rates and risk behaviours.

The Lambda survey includes core questions that are asked across all Canadian sites, as well as site-specific questions that were added by the Ontario team to address emerging issues in the province. A venue- and event-based survey method was used to administer the survey to a sample of 2,000 men in Toronto and 500 in Ottawa. Biologic samples (dried blood spot) were collected from consenting participants. Data analysis, preparation of a report, and community knowledge transfer activities will take place within a year of the data collection. Beginning in 2007, Lambda will take place every two years.

M-Track was conceived by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), and is funded by PHAC. ACT and the HIV Social, Behavioural, Epidemiological Studies Unit at the University of Toronto are working in partnership with PHAC to implement Lambda.

For more information see www.lambdasurvey.ca


Rejuvenating HIV Prevention for Gay and Bisexual Men (or Knowing Me, Knowing You)
The objectives of this 3-year study are:
    1. To design and implement new evidence-based HIV prevention programming in the Toronto area grounded in findings from previous research ACT-University of Windsor research on HIV prevention for gay and bisexual men, the Ontario Men’s Survey, and the scholarly research literature.
    2. To discover the degree to which messages contained in this new HIV prevention programming are recognized and assessed by MSM, and how they enter into the reasoning processes of gay and bisexual men in their everyday sexual practices.
    3. To delineate microcultures of shared understandings and assumptions underlying sexual interaction in order:
      • to identify subgroups that can be targeted with messages particularly relevant and appropriate to their needs, vulnerabilities, and understandings, and
      • to discover emergent and unanticipated problem areas in HIV risk taking.
    4. To provide a well-informed foundation for targeted HIV prevention program development based on specific and multi-faceted needs of a vulnerable population.

The study included a survey of 900 gay and bisexual men (the Toronto Pride Survey), and in depth interviews with 34 men. Risk Management in Circuits of Gay and Bisexual Men is the final report for this study.

A series of events to communicate and discuss the study results with various stakeholders and implications are being planned for January to April of 2008.

The study was funded by the Ontario Health Treatment Network (OHTN), and the principal investigator was Barry Adam (University of Windsor).


ACCHO’s Keep it alive campaign evaluation
This study will examine how the Keep it alive HIV prevention and awareness campaign was received in African and Caribbean communities in Ontario. Keep it alive was developed by the African and Caribbean Council on HIV/AIDS in Ontario (ACCHO).

The study seeks to understand how the campaign was understood in African and Caribbean communities, and its impact on HIV awareness, sexual decision-making and testing in those communities. This research is also crucial for informing how campaigns may be developed and implemented in the future, and should indicate as well the kind of work that has to be done in African and Caribbean communities on an on-going basis in response to HIV/AIDS.

This study will be funded by ACCHO and will occur in 2007/2008. The research team includes Clemon George (University of Ontario Institute of Technology and ACCHO), Winston Husbands (ACT and ACCHO), Nicole Greenspan (ACT), Lydia Makoroka (ACT) and others to be determined.


ACT Research Day
ACT Research Day is a knowledge translation and exchange (KTE) event where HIV researchers, service providers, policy makers and other stakeholders come together for an active exchange in order to strengthen the knowledge base for HIV programs and services. ACT has organized and hosted the event annually since 2003.

ACT Research Day 2008 will be held in the spring of 2008. A Steering Committee made up of ACT staff and other stakeholders plans and organizes the event. In 2008 ACT Research Day will include an additional half-day where the various provincial strategies will be presented and discussed.

This event is currently funded by grants from the Canadian Institute for Health Research and the Ontario HIV Treatment Network and is coordinated by Nicole Greenspan (ACT).

Further more information see ACT Research Day on the web


ACT Research Advisory Committee
ACT’s reconstituted Research Advisory Committee (RAC) is assisting the agency to identify and develop research priorities, themes and opportunities for the next three years. The RAC meets at least three times a year. The current workplan involves identifying directions and themes for CBR, and developing guidelines and a strategy for knowledge translation and exchange. Nicole Greenspan coordinates the RAC.


Academic Barriers Study
The Academic Barriers Study is investigating the experiences of academic researchers engaged in community-based research (CBR) in Canada (and potentially, other countries) to better understand the challenges they face while working within academic environments, and how they have addressed these challenges. The goal of this study is that the results be used to mobilize support for, and reduce barriers to, engagement in CBR within academic environments. Sarah Flicker (York University) and Robb Travers (OHTN) are the co-principal investigators of this study. The co-investigators include Nicole Greenspan (ACT) and others.


Party Drugs Study
We are analyzing data from the 2004 Party Drugs study to explore in more detail the themes and issues that were identified in the first round of data analysis. The first output was a poster at the 2007 OHTN Research Conference which looks at harm reduction in the narratives of 16 HIV-positive South Asian, East and Southeast Asian, Caribbean, Latino and Aboriginal gay men that participated in this study in 2002-2004. The study was originally funded by the Community Based Research Program at Health Canada and the Community Based Research program of CIHR. Nicole Greenspan (ACT) is working with Jeffrey Aguinaldo (University of Toronto) and the community-based research team on this project.


OHTN Committees
Winston Husbands is involved in a variety if initiatives at the Ontario HIV Treatment Network (OHTN) that seek to build research and KTE capacity. These include the Research Network Advisory Committee (RNAC) and the KTE Working Group.


Research and Program Development for ACT
The research and program development group are currently involved in multiple activities to support ACT staff with program planning, monitoring and evaluation.


Team lead evaluation
An evaluation of ACT’s new team structure is currently underway. It involves a survey of staff at two time intervals (April 2007 and the fall of 2007), focus groups with staff (June 2007), and interviews with team leads (October 2007). Winston Husbands, Nicole Greenspan, Lydia Makoroka are the project team.


Supporting ACT staff with a logic model approach to work planning
Three years ago program logic models (PLM) were initiated to upgrade program planning, monitoring and evaluating infrastructure at ACT. The research team continues to work with program staff to assist them in using the PLM template, identifying success indicators, incorporating monitoring and evaluating (M&E) activities into workplans, and designing and implementing M&E activities. Nicole Greenspan supports ACT staff by delivering workshops and other learning opportunities related to PLM.


Supporting ACT staff with program monitoring and evaluation (M&E)
The research team works with individual program staff to assist them in designing and implementing M&E activities. In addition, the research team designs and delivers workshops to improve research literacy among program staff (e.g., basic data collection and data management, how to read reviews, etc). Nicole Greenspan hosts and coordinates a series of workshops for ACT staff.


Library Needs Assessment
The reference and circulating catalogue of ACT’s library has the largest publicly available collection of books, journals, periodicals and other materials on HIV/AIDS in Canada (i.e., the library is operated as a public library). In addition, ACT’s Library manages and distributes other resources for agencies and people living with HIV/AIDS (PHAs). ACT is well placed to facilitate “one-stop shopping” for optimally packaged, high quality and relevant research summaries and reviews that identify actionable messages.

We are currently designing an assessment of ACT’s library which will be implemented in 2008. The objectives of the needs assessment are: (a) to understand who uses the library for what services, and potential future needs (b) to understand the extent to which users’ needs are being met; (c) to determine gaps in services, and (d) to assess the library’s role in working with partners to acquire, develop, assess and disseminate research summaries to service providers and policy makers. The results and recommendations of this assessment will be published in 2009. Winston Husbands, Erica Lee, Lily Mac, Nicole Greenspan are involved in this project, which will be completed 2008-2009.




Document last updated: December 2007