William G Ddaaki
Biographic Data
| ID | 128742 |
|---|---|
| NAME | William G Ddaaki |
| GIVEN NAMES | William G |
| FAMILY NAME | Ddaaki |
| SIGNATURE | DDAAKI W G |
| AFFILIATIONS | Rakai Health Sciences Program |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-2395-7003 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 23 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 3 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 23 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2014 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
Men’s understanding of three different measures of transactional sex
Lack of valid and reliable measures and inconsistent transactional sex measurement has resulted in poor understanding of the practice, particularly among men. To improve transactional sex measurement and facilitate comparison across studies, we examined how men comprehend and respond to three common transactional sex measures. Cognitive interviews were conducted with 25 sexually active adult men in Rakai, Uganda and data were thematically analyse…
Building the foundation
Early and ongoing stakeholder engagement is critical to the development and implementation of scalable behavioral health interventions. Our overarching goal in this implementation research study was to understand and document the process of planning and rolling out Common Elements Treatment Approach (CETA), a transdiagnostic mental health intervention, in Uganda. Guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) 2.0, we cond…
Factors shaping understanding and interpretation of sexual practice survey questions in south-central Uganda
BACKGROUND: Accurate interpretation of survey questions about sensitive matters such as sexual practices is crucial for obtaining reliable data to inform effective public health interventions. Describing sexual practices involves reflecting on acts and contextually attributing meanings. However, participants in sexual behaviour studies may struggle to understand questions, affecting the validity of the data. AIM: We investigated factors that shap…
As long as you are married you cannot protect yourself against syphilis”
The study provides practical suggestions for enhancing syphilis awareness, engagement in care, and women's experiences in ANC within a resource-limited, high-burden context. Future efforts should concentrate on extending syphilis education beyond clinics, utilizing Village Health Teams (VHTs) as trusted sources, and identifying barriers to improving healthcare quality for women, informing quality improvement programming
Cognitive interviewing for understanding and adaptation of mental health screening instruments among people living with HIV in rakai, Uganda
Background Mental health is conceptualized differently across cultures, making exploration of the understandability of screening tools for the purpose of adaptation critical. Methods In Uganda, we used cognitive interviewing to understand comprehension of and make adaptations to three scales for measuring psychological distress: the Thinking Too Much (TTM) Questionnaire, the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9), and the Hopkins Symptoms Checkli…
Barriers to Routine Antenatal Syphilis Screening in Uganda
Congenital syphilis is preventable through early detection and treatment during pregnancy. Although global syphilis rates have declined, the prevalence of undiagnosed and untreated infections remains high in low- and middle-income countries. In Uganda, national clinical guidelines recommend syphilis screening and treatment at the first antenatal care (ANC) visit, yet coverage remains suboptimal, contributing to ongoing perinatal transmission. As …
Dissolution of transactional sex relationships during Covid-19
The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent mitigation measures led to social disruption and negative economic shocks for a large proportion of Uganda's population. The social and economic consequences of COVID-19 on Ugandan men's sexual behaviours, including transactional sex relationships, are unclear. We conducted in-depth interviews between November 2021-February 2022 with 26 men in a high HIV prevalence region of Uganda. Data were analysed thematic…
Understanding the drivers of preferential migration of people living with HIV to fishing communities of Lake Victoria in Uganda
Fishing communities around Lake Victoria have among the highest burdens of HIV globally. Growing evidence suggests that high HIV prevalence is partially due to selective migration of people living with HIV to fishing communities. However, the reasons for this preferential migration are unclear. We recruited 60 men and women for qualitative in-depth interviews (30% living with HIV; 70% recent migrants of unknown HIV status) from seven Ugandan fish…
From ‘no problem’ to ‘a lot of difficulties’
Migration is increasingly common in Africa, especially for employment. Migrants may face additional barriers to accessing health care, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention and treatment, compared with long-term residents. Exploring migrants’ experiences with health services can provide insights to inform the design of health programmes. In this study, we used qualitative methods to understand migrants’ barriers to health servic…
Gendered access to digital capital and mobile phone ownership among young people in Rakai, Uganda
This article examines how gendered access to digital capital-in the form of the social and economic resources needed to own and use a mobile phone-is connected to key adult milestones, such as securing employment and engaging in romantic relationships. Descriptive statistical analysis of 11,030 young people aged 15-24 in Rakai, Uganda indicated that men were more likely to own mobile phones than women. Analysis of qualitative interviews with youn…
Identifying longitudinal patterns of HIV treatment (dis)engagement and re-engagement from oral histories of virologically unsuppressed persons in Uganda
Sex is supposed to be naturally more pleasurable
Global health researchers often approach Traditional, Complementary, and Alternative Medicine (TCAM) from a health efficacy perspective, asking whether the presence of plural medical systems helps or hinders the uptake of biomedicine. Medical anthropologists, by contrast, typically emphasize how plural medical systems encourage us to rethink health ontologies-that is, who and what comes to constitute the experience of health and illness, and thro…
Selfie consents, remote rapport, and Zoom debriefings
In-person interactions have traditionally been the gold standard for qualitative data collection. The COVID-19 pandemic required researchers to consider if remote data collection can meet research objectives, while retaining the same level of data quality and participant protections. We use four case studies from the Philippines, Zambia, India and Uganda to assess the challenges and opportunities of remote data collection during COVID-19. We pres…
Qualitative Assessment of Barriers and Facilitators of PrEP Use Before and After Rollout of a PrEP Program for Priority Populations in South-central Uganda
A Double Stress”
Perspectives of Women Living With HIV on Addressing Violence and Use of Alcohol During HIV Services
The syndemic relationship between harmful alcohol use, intimate partner violence (IPV), and HIV is well established across international settings. Less is known about how these health issues are perceived by women living with HIV (WLWH), who are disproportionately affected by these intertwined epidemics. A qualitative study was undertaken with 20 WLWH in Rakai, Uganda, to assess their perceptions of how these issues have affected their lives and …
Not Enough Money and Too Many Thoughts
Mental health disorders account for a heavy disease burden in Uganda. In order to provide culturally appropriate mental health prevention and treatment approaches, it is necessary to understand how mental health is conceptualized in the population. Three focus group discussions (FGDs) and 31 in-depth interviews (IDIs) were conducted with men and women aged 14 to 62 years residing in rural, urban, and semi-urban low-income communities in central a…
Alcohol use in fishing communities and men’s willingness to participate in an alcohol, violence and HIV risk reduction intervention
Alcohol use, intimate partner violence (IPV) and HIV infection are associated, but few programmes and interventions have addressed their synergistic relationship or been evaluated for effectiveness and acceptability. This is a critical gap in populations with high rates of alcohol use, HIV and IPV, such as Uganda's fishing communities. This study examined drinking norms, barriers and facilitators to engagement in a risk reduction programme, and i…
“He was no longer listening to me”
In the era of widespread antiretroviral therapy, few studies have explored the perspectives of the relatives involved in caring for people living with HIV (PLHIV) during periods of ill-health leading up to their demise. In this analysis, we explore the process of care for PLHIV as their death approached, from their relatives' perspective. We apply Tronto's care ethics framework that distinguishes between care-receiving among PLHIV on the one hand…
Women’s role in male circumcision promotion in Rakai, Uganda
Medical male circumcision (MMC) has expanded in sub-Saharan Africa, yet uptake remains sub-optimal. We sought to understand women's perceptions of and influence on MMC in Rakai, Uganda. We conducted in-depth interviews with 27 women in fishing and trading communities, including women married to circumcised and uncircumcised men, single women, and sex workers. Data analysis followed a team-based framework approach. All female participants preferre…
HIV Partner Notification Values and Preferences Among Sex Workers, Fishermen, and Mainland Community Members in Rakai, Uganda
Perceptions of Adolescent Pregnancy Among Teenage Girls in Rakai, Uganda
The leading causes of death and disability among Ugandan female adolescents aged 15 to 19 years are pregnancy complications, unsafe abortions, and childbirth. Despite these statistics, our understanding of how girls perceive adolescent pregnancy is limited. This qualitative study explored the social and contextual factors shaping the perceptions of adolescent pregnancy and childbirth among a sample of 12 currently pregnant and 14 never pregnant g…
Importance of Relationship Context in HIV Transmission
We present results from life history interviews with 60 young adults from southern Uganda. Using a novel qualitative case-control design, we compared newly HIV-positive cases with HIV-negative controls matched on age, gender, marital status, and place of residence. Relationship context was the most salient theme differentiating cases from controls. Compared with HIV-negative respondents, recent seroconverters described relationships marked by poo…
Not Enough Money and Too Many Thoughts
Mental health disorders account for a heavy disease burden in Uganda. In order to provide culturally appropriate mental health prevention and treatment approaches, it is necessary to understand how mental health is conceptualized in the population. Three focus group discussions (FGDs) and 31 in-depth interviews (IDIs) were conducted with men and women aged 14 to 62 years residing in rural, urban, and semi-urban low-income communities in central a…
Importance of Relationship Context in HIV Transmission
We present results from life history interviews with 60 young adults from southern Uganda. Using a novel qualitative case-control design, we compared newly HIV-positive cases with HIV-negative controls matched on age, gender, marital status, and place of residence. Relationship context was the most salient theme differentiating cases from controls. Compared with HIV-negative respondents, recent seroconverters described relationships marked by poo…
Importance of Relationship Context in HIV Transmission
We present results from life history interviews with 60 young adults from southern Uganda. Using a novel qualitative case-control design, we compared newly HIV-positive cases with HIV-negative controls matched on age, gender, marital status, and place of residence. Relationship context was the most salient theme differentiating cases from controls. Compared with HIV-negative respondents, recent seroconverters described relationships marked by poo…
Perceptions of Adolescent Pregnancy Among Teenage Girls in Rakai, Uganda
The leading causes of death and disability among Ugandan female adolescents aged 15 to 19 years are pregnancy complications, unsafe abortions, and childbirth. Despite these statistics, our understanding of how girls perceive adolescent pregnancy is limited. This qualitative study explored the social and contextual factors shaping the perceptions of adolescent pregnancy and childbirth among a sample of 12 currently pregnant and 14 never pregnant g…
HIV Partner Notification Values and Preferences Among Sex Workers, Fishermen, and Mainland Community Members in Rakai, Uganda
“He was no longer listening to me”
In the era of widespread antiretroviral therapy, few studies have explored the perspectives of the relatives involved in caring for people living with HIV (PLHIV) during periods of ill-health leading up to their demise. In this analysis, we explore the process of care for PLHIV as their death approached, from their relatives' perspective. We apply Tronto's care ethics framework that distinguishes between care-receiving among PLHIV on the one hand…
Women’s role in male circumcision promotion in Rakai, Uganda
Medical male circumcision (MMC) has expanded in sub-Saharan Africa, yet uptake remains sub-optimal. We sought to understand women's perceptions of and influence on MMC in Rakai, Uganda. We conducted in-depth interviews with 27 women in fishing and trading communities, including women married to circumcised and uncircumcised men, single women, and sex workers. Data analysis followed a team-based framework approach. All female participants preferre…
Alcohol use in fishing communities and men’s willingness to participate in an alcohol, violence and HIV risk reduction intervention
Alcohol use, intimate partner violence (IPV) and HIV infection are associated, but few programmes and interventions have addressed their synergistic relationship or been evaluated for effectiveness and acceptability. This is a critical gap in populations with high rates of alcohol use, HIV and IPV, such as Uganda's fishing communities. This study examined drinking norms, barriers and facilitators to engagement in a risk reduction programme, and i…
Selfie consents, remote rapport, and Zoom debriefings
In-person interactions have traditionally been the gold standard for qualitative data collection. The COVID-19 pandemic required researchers to consider if remote data collection can meet research objectives, while retaining the same level of data quality and participant protections. We use four case studies from the Philippines, Zambia, India and Uganda to assess the challenges and opportunities of remote data collection during COVID-19. We pres…
Qualitative Assessment of Barriers and Facilitators of PrEP Use Before and After Rollout of a PrEP Program for Priority Populations in South-central Uganda
A Double Stress”
Perspectives of Women Living With HIV on Addressing Violence and Use of Alcohol During HIV Services
The syndemic relationship between harmful alcohol use, intimate partner violence (IPV), and HIV is well established across international settings. Less is known about how these health issues are perceived by women living with HIV (WLWH), who are disproportionately affected by these intertwined epidemics. A qualitative study was undertaken with 20 WLWH in Rakai, Uganda, to assess their perceptions of how these issues have affected their lives and …
Not Enough Money and Too Many Thoughts
Mental health disorders account for a heavy disease burden in Uganda. In order to provide culturally appropriate mental health prevention and treatment approaches, it is necessary to understand how mental health is conceptualized in the population. Three focus group discussions (FGDs) and 31 in-depth interviews (IDIs) were conducted with men and women aged 14 to 62 years residing in rural, urban, and semi-urban low-income communities in central a…
Sex is supposed to be naturally more pleasurable
Global health researchers often approach Traditional, Complementary, and Alternative Medicine (TCAM) from a health efficacy perspective, asking whether the presence of plural medical systems helps or hinders the uptake of biomedicine. Medical anthropologists, by contrast, typically emphasize how plural medical systems encourage us to rethink health ontologies-that is, who and what comes to constitute the experience of health and illness, and thro…
Understanding the drivers of preferential migration of people living with HIV to fishing communities of Lake Victoria in Uganda
Fishing communities around Lake Victoria have among the highest burdens of HIV globally. Growing evidence suggests that high HIV prevalence is partially due to selective migration of people living with HIV to fishing communities. However, the reasons for this preferential migration are unclear. We recruited 60 men and women for qualitative in-depth interviews (30% living with HIV; 70% recent migrants of unknown HIV status) from seven Ugandan fish…
From ‘no problem’ to ‘a lot of difficulties’
Migration is increasingly common in Africa, especially for employment. Migrants may face additional barriers to accessing health care, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention and treatment, compared with long-term residents. Exploring migrants’ experiences with health services can provide insights to inform the design of health programmes. In this study, we used qualitative methods to understand migrants’ barriers to health servic…
Gendered access to digital capital and mobile phone ownership among young people in Rakai, Uganda
This article examines how gendered access to digital capital-in the form of the social and economic resources needed to own and use a mobile phone-is connected to key adult milestones, such as securing employment and engaging in romantic relationships. Descriptive statistical analysis of 11,030 young people aged 15-24 in Rakai, Uganda indicated that men were more likely to own mobile phones than women. Analysis of qualitative interviews with youn…
Identifying longitudinal patterns of HIV treatment (dis)engagement and re-engagement from oral histories of virologically unsuppressed persons in Uganda
Dissolution of transactional sex relationships during Covid-19
The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent mitigation measures led to social disruption and negative economic shocks for a large proportion of Uganda's population. The social and economic consequences of COVID-19 on Ugandan men's sexual behaviours, including transactional sex relationships, are unclear. We conducted in-depth interviews between November 2021-February 2022 with 26 men in a high HIV prevalence region of Uganda. Data were analysed thematic…
Cognitive interviewing for understanding and adaptation of mental health screening instruments among people living with HIV in rakai, Uganda
Background Mental health is conceptualized differently across cultures, making exploration of the understandability of screening tools for the purpose of adaptation critical. Methods In Uganda, we used cognitive interviewing to understand comprehension of and make adaptations to three scales for measuring psychological distress: the Thinking Too Much (TTM) Questionnaire, the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9), and the Hopkins Symptoms Checkli…
Barriers to Routine Antenatal Syphilis Screening in Uganda
Congenital syphilis is preventable through early detection and treatment during pregnancy. Although global syphilis rates have declined, the prevalence of undiagnosed and untreated infections remains high in low- and middle-income countries. In Uganda, national clinical guidelines recommend syphilis screening and treatment at the first antenatal care (ANC) visit, yet coverage remains suboptimal, contributing to ongoing perinatal transmission. As …
Men’s understanding of three different measures of transactional sex
Lack of valid and reliable measures and inconsistent transactional sex measurement has resulted in poor understanding of the practice, particularly among men. To improve transactional sex measurement and facilitate comparison across studies, we examined how men comprehend and respond to three common transactional sex measures. Cognitive interviews were conducted with 25 sexually active adult men in Rakai, Uganda and data were thematically analyse…
Building the foundation
Early and ongoing stakeholder engagement is critical to the development and implementation of scalable behavioral health interventions. Our overarching goal in this implementation research study was to understand and document the process of planning and rolling out Common Elements Treatment Approach (CETA), a transdiagnostic mental health intervention, in Uganda. Guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) 2.0, we cond…
Factors shaping understanding and interpretation of sexual practice survey questions in south-central Uganda
BACKGROUND: Accurate interpretation of survey questions about sensitive matters such as sexual practices is crucial for obtaining reliable data to inform effective public health interventions. Describing sexual practices involves reflecting on acts and contextually attributing meanings. However, participants in sexual behaviour studies may struggle to understand questions, affecting the validity of the data. AIM: We investigated factors that shap…
As long as you are married you cannot protect yourself against syphilis”
The study provides practical suggestions for enhancing syphilis awareness, engagement in care, and women's experiences in ANC within a resource-limited, high-burden context. Future efforts should concentrate on extending syphilis education beyond clinics, utilizing Village Health Teams (VHTs) as trusted sources, and identifying barriers to improving healthcare quality for women, informing quality improvement programming
Medicine (16 works) · Qualitative research (16 works) · Sociology (14 works) · Psychology (13 works) · HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions (12 works) · Environmental health (11 works) · Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (9 works) · Population (8 works) · Psychiatry (8 works) · Nursing (6 works)