Conducting Violence and Mental Health Research with Female Sex Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Ethical Considerations, Challenges, and Lessons Learned from the Maisha Fiti Study in Nairobi, Kenya

Mary Kung’u (), Rhoda Kabuti, Hellen Babu, on behalf of The Maisha Fiti Study Champions, Chrispo Nyamweya, Monica Okumu, Anne Mahero, Zaina Jama, Polly Ngurukiri, Emily Nyariki, Mamtuti Panneh, Pooja Shah, Alicja Beksinska, Erastus Irungu, Wendy Adhiambo, Peter Muthoga, Rupert Kaul, Helen A. Weiss, Janet Seeley, Joshua Kimani and Tara S. Beattie
Additional contact information
Mary Kung’u: Partners for Health and Development in Africa, Nairobi P.O. Box 3737-00506, Kenya
Rhoda Kabuti: Partners for Health and Development in Africa, Nairobi P.O. Box 3737-00506, Kenya
Hellen Babu: Partners for Health and Development in Africa, Nairobi P.O. Box 3737-00506, Kenya
on behalf of The Maisha Fiti Study Champions: Membership of the Maisha Fiti Study Champions is provided in the Acknowledgments.
Chrispo Nyamweya: Partners for Health and Development in Africa, Nairobi P.O. Box 3737-00506, Kenya
Monica Okumu: Partners for Health and Development in Africa, Nairobi P.O. Box 3737-00506, Kenya
Anne Mahero: Partners for Health and Development in Africa, Nairobi P.O. Box 3737-00506, Kenya
Zaina Jama: Partners for Health and Development in Africa, Nairobi P.O. Box 3737-00506, Kenya
Polly Ngurukiri: Partners for Health and Development in Africa, Nairobi P.O. Box 3737-00506, Kenya
Emily Nyariki: Partners for Health and Development in Africa, Nairobi P.O. Box 3737-00506, Kenya
Mamtuti Panneh: Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1H 9SH, UK
Pooja Shah: Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1H 9SH, UK
Alicja Beksinska: Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1H 9SH, UK
Erastus Irungu: Partners for Health and Development in Africa, Nairobi P.O. Box 3737-00506, Kenya
Wendy Adhiambo: Partners for Health and Development in Africa, Nairobi P.O. Box 3737-00506, Kenya
Peter Muthoga: Partners for Health and Development in Africa, Nairobi P.O. Box 3737-00506, Kenya
Rupert Kaul: Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S1A8, Canada
Helen A. Weiss: MRC International Statistics and Epidemiology Group, Department for Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK
Janet Seeley: Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1H 9SH, UK
Joshua Kimani: Partners for Health and Development in Africa, Nairobi P.O. Box 3737-00506, Kenya
Tara S. Beattie: Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1H 9SH, UK

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 11, 1-12

Abstract: Conducting violence and mental health research during the COVID-19 pandemic with vulnerable groups such as female sex workers (FSWs) required care to ensure that participants and the research team were not harmed. Potential risks and harm avoidance needed to be considered as well as ensuring data reliability. In March 2020, COVID-19 restrictions were imposed in Kenya during follow-up data collection for the Maisha Fiti study ( n = 1003); hence data collection was paused. In June 2020, the study clinic was re-opened after consultations with violence and mental health experts and the FSW community. Between June 2020 and January 2021, data were collected in person and remotely following ethical procedures. A total of 885/1003 (88.2%) FSWs participated in the follow-up behavioural–biological survey and 47/47 (100%) participated in the qualitative in-depth interviews. A total of 26/885 (2.9%) quantitative surveys and 3/47 (6.4%) qualitative interviews were conducted remotely. Researching sensitive topics like sex work, violence, and mental health must guarantee study participants’ safety and privacy. Collecting data at the height of COVID-19 was crucial in understanding the relationships between the COVID-19 pandemic, violence against women, and mental health. Relationships established with study participants during the baseline survey—before the pandemic—enabled us to complete data collection. In this paper, we discuss key issues involved in undertaking violence and mental health research with a vulnerable population such as FSWs during a pandemic. Lessons learned could be useful to others researching sensitive topics such as violence and mental health with vulnerable populations.

Keywords: violence; mental health; COVID-19; female sex workers; ethics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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