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Article History

Received: 19 March 2024

Accepted: 9 December 2024

First Online: 18 December 2024

Declarations

:

: Ethics approval for the project was obtained from University of Michigan (#HUM00146736), Makerere University (#12.18.238), and the Uganda’s National Council for Science and Technology (#SS265ES).

: Not applicable.

: Alongside his academic position, JG serves as the Chief Executive Officer and as a board member of Progressive Health Partnership (PHP), the organization that carried out the intervention and data collection activities for this article. The author’s relationship with PHP is unpaid. JB is as an employee of PHP.

: In this study, the authors’ diverse backgrounds and roles significantly shaped the research process and its outcomes. JB, a Ugandan and co-founder of PHP, brought invaluable local insights and a nuanced understanding of the context, which were essential for the design and implementation of the study. JG, an economist and physician, is both a co-founder and the current director of PHP, overseeing all research activities and conducting the pilot intervention. As a permanent resident of Uganda, JG’s experience in the local context greatly informed the study. HL, an early-career professor, co-led the project with JB, contributing to both the design and execution phases. EM and CAM, senior professors, provided extensive experience and oversight, ensuring the study’s rigor and academic validity. The two Ugandan research assistants, CA and AT, were offered authorship positions but declined, as publication was not of interest to them. However, both CA and AT played a key role in facilitating the FGDs and collaborating with HL and NF to verify the coding process and the thematic analysis. GN and PG, both Ugandan research assistants, also contributed to translating and verifying all FGD transcripts, though their contribution did not meet authorship criteria. NF, a medical student, brought fresh perspectives and made important contributions to data analysis, interpretation, and manuscript development. Our varying levels of experience and expertise influenced our approach to the study and shaped our interpretations of the data. While HL, JG, and JB possess extensive experience working in Uganda, the senior perspectives of EM and CAM added a layer of academic robustness. The collaborative nature of our team enabled a comprehensive analysis, although it is important to acknowledge that our individual perspectives may have introduced different biases and interpretations.