UMAI-WINGS: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Implementing mHealth Intimate Partner Violence Prevention Intervention in Reducing Intimate Partner Violence Among Women from Key Affected Populations in Kazakhstan Using a Community-Based Approach.

Abstract

Key affected populations (KAPs), including women who use drugs, engage in sex work, or live with HIV, are disproportionately affected by HIV, gender-based violence, substance use, and mental health. In Kazakhstan, they face significantly higher rates of intimate partner violence (IPV), with prevalence ranging from 45% to 75% compared to the national average of 27%, alongside barriers to accessing IPV services. This community-level implementation trial with a waitlist control group evaluated the effectiveness, safety, and acceptability of a self-paced mobile health intervention (UMAI-WINGS) for women from KAPs in Kazakhstan. The study enrolled 508 women, with 306 in Almaty City (intervention) and 200 in Almaty Oblast (waitlist control). IPV rates (physical, sexual, and psychological) were assessed at baseline and 6-months post-intervention. Participants in the intervention community were significantly less likely to report psychological (-23.0%), sexual (-27.0%), and physical IPV (-29.0%) at the 6-month follow-up compared to the control group. These results demonstrate the potential of digital, community-driven interventions to reduce IPV among marginalized women and offer a scalable, evidence-based model for implementation. The success of the UMAI-WINGS underscores the value of community-based, mobile health approaches for advancing trauma-informed, survivor-centered care and closing critical service gaps for underserved populations.