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. 2025 May 31;22(1):94.
doi: 10.1186/s12978-025-02047-5.

Impact of a comprehensive two-year research capacity intervention with sexual and reproductive health researchers in Sub-Saharan Africa

Julie M Buser #  1 , Olive Tengera #  2 , Charley Jiang  3 , Edward Kumakech  4 , Rachel Gray  5 , Madeleine Mukeshimana  2 , Gerard Kaberuka  2 , Marie Laetitia Ishimwe Bazakare  2 , Jackline Ayikoru  6 , Diomede Ntasumbumuyange  7   8 , Tamrat Endale  5 , Pebalo Francis Pebolo  6 , Anna Grace Auma  4 , Ella August #  9   10 , Yolanda R Smith #  5   3
Affiliations

Impact of a comprehensive two-year research capacity intervention with sexual and reproductive health researchers in Sub-Saharan Africa

Julie M Buser et al. Reprod Health. .

Abstract

Background: Research training in Sub-Saharan Africa is crucial for strengthening the capacity of healthcare professionals and researchers to address specific sexual and reproductive health (SRH) challenges within their communities. Interventions that enhance research capacity and foster a culture of innovation within existing structures offer a practical and economical strategy capable of addressing national and sub-national SRH needs. This study evaluated an intervention to enhance reproductive health research skills to assess research competence changes among participants.

Methods: A pre-post intervention design was employed. Pre- and post-program assessments were conducted using the Clinical Research Appraisal Inventory (CRAI)-12 scale to establish baseline and endline levels of research competence. Descriptive statistics, chi-squared and Kruskal Wallis tests were used to analyze data. Our data interpretation is guided by the Social Cognitive Career Theory.

Results: Faculty members and clinicians from Uganda and Rwanda completed the intervention and 84 had complete baseline while 77 had complete endline data. Analyses revealed significant improvements in nearly every item on the CRAI-12 scale after the research training program, including increased Self-Efficacy in Designing and Collecting Data (Factor 1); Reporting, Interpreting and Presenting (Factor 2); Conceptualizing and Collaborating (Factor 3); Setting Expectations for Research Staff (part of Factor 4); Describing the Funding Process (Part of Factor 5); and Protecting Study Participants (Factor 6) (all p = < 0.05). The only items that did not improve significantly were Confidence in Asking Staff to Leave the Project Team when Necessary (part of Factor 4) and Locating the Appropriate Grant Application Forms (part of Factor 5).We proposed a conceptual framework outlining the hypothesized pathways through which training and skill development influence research-related career planning and progression.

Conclusions: The research training intervention effectively improved participants' research competence. These findings underscore the importance of structured research training programs in enhancing research skills. Future research should focus on longitudinal assessments to explore sustained changes and the enduring impact of self-efficacy, outcome expectations (anticipations about career-related consequences), and research-related career goals on career planning and skill development.

Keywords: Clinical research; Clinical research appraisal inventory (CRAI) -12; Nursing and midwifery; OBGYN; Pre-post assessment; Research competence; Research training intervention; Sub-Saharan Africa; Training effectiveness; Women’s health.

Plain language summary

In this study, we explored whether a unique training program in Sub-Saharan Africa could help faculty members and clinicians become better at scientific research. This training aimed to help faculty members and clinicians improve confidence and self-efficacy in performing meaningful research. To understand how much the training helped, we asked participants about their research skills before and after they completed the program. We used the Clinical Research Appraisal Inventory (CRAI) -12 scale to measure these changes. We compared their answers before and after the training. Our results showed that after the training, participants reported improvement in their research competence. These findings suggest that structured training programs may benefit faculty members and clinicians in Sub-Saharan Africa looking to improve their research skills. Individuals may be better equipped to contribute meaningfully to research by focusing on these areas. Further research could explore the long-term effects of such training programs and how they might work in other environments or with different groups of people.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Ethics approval: Institutional Review Board (IRB) exception approval was obtained prior to beginning the study from the University of Rwanda (CMHS/IRB/210/2022) and the University of Michigan (HUM00203642). IRB approval was obtained from Gulu and Lira Universities (GUREC-2022-252). Participants were assured of confidentiality and privacy was respected. No identifiable information was collected. Consent to participate: An online explanation in English of the purpose of the study was provided prior to the survey. Written consent was obtained in English for all settings. Three of the 94 participants in the training programs declined to provide consent to share survey data. Their responses were not included in the analysis. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Clinical research factors on the Clinical Research Appraisal Inventory (CRAI)−12 scale [20]
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Adapted conceptual framework integrating findings from the Clinical Research Appraisal Inventory-12 survey within the Social Cognitive Career Theory [11, 12, 20]
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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