The role of psychological factors and food in improving athletic performance: an analytical study of a specific sports organization's society.

In 2023, 39.9 million people globally were living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), with 1.3 million (1–1.7 million) newly acquired infections reported that year (). Although women and girls accounted for only 46% of new infections worldwide, in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), they accounted for 62%, highlighting a significant disparity in this region (). Among the most vulnerable populations globally were adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) aged 15–24 years, with 4,000 new HIV infections each week (). Notably, 3,100 of these acquisitions occurred in SSA (), underscoring the region's disproportionate burden. The high incidence of HIV among AGYW underscores the crucial need for effective HIV prevention strategies. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has emerged as a key preventive strategy in the battle against HIV (). While PrEP has demonstrated efficacy, challenges related to ongoing effective use and retention in prevention persist (). For PrEP to be effective, consistent, effective use during periods of exposure is fundamental (), yet many AGYW struggle with maintaining regular use (). This difficulty is attributed to various factors, including socioeconomic barriers, stigma, lack of support, gender-based violence, and depression (–). Within this context, group-based support models have been developed and implemented specifically for AGYW to address these intersecting barriers. The focus of this review is therefore on group support interventions designed for AGYW within HIV prevention and care programmes, particularly those aimed at improving PrEP uptake, adherence, and retention in SSA. HIV among African women and girls is driven by a complex interplay of gender inequalities that intersect across individual, cultural, economic, and systemic levels (, ). AGYW in SSA face unique vulnerabilities, including socio-economic disadvantages, gender inequality, and cultural norms that exacerbate their risk of HIV acquisition (, ). With the rollout of long-acting HIV prevention options, such as injectable PrEP, there is growing potential to expand prevention choices and improve uptake among more vulnerable populations. However, many young women may still prefer daily oral PrEP due to familiarity or individual lifestyle considerations. Regardless of the prevention method selected, sustained engagement in HIV prevention services, including adherence support, follow-up care, and integrated sexual and reproductive health services, will remain critical to ensuring optimal protection and long-term effectiveness. Group support models are structured, facilitated interventions that bring together individuals of similar age, gender, or social background to participate in regular group sessions focused on HIV prevention. Unlike individual counselling or routine clinical care, these models emphasise peer interaction, shared learning, psychosocial support, and facilitated discussions to encourage HIV prevention behaviours. Depending on the intervention, they may include HIV and PrEP education, skills building, adherence support, risk reduction counselling, and linkage to sexual and reproductive health services, to improve PrEP uptake, adherence, and retention (–). Group support models have been proposed to improve PrEP retention (). Evidence from peer-led models in other health interventions, particularly antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence clubs, demonstrates that group-based approaches can improve retention in care, strengthen treatment adherence, and enhance patient empowerment through shared experiences and collective accountability (, ). Additionally, emerging literature suggests that support groups may offer important mental health benefits, including reduced social isolation, decreased stigma, and improved emotional well-being, which are critical considerations given the substantial mental health burden among populations at elevated risk for HIV (, ). Together, these broader health and psychosocial benefits further strengthen the rationale for group support models as a multifaceted strategy for HIV prevention. Peer-led approaches, mostly for AGYW, have been widely endorsed as strategies for sexual health education, health promotion, and HIV prevention for the past two decades, even though there has been limited empirical evidence of their efficacy in changing behaviour (, ). Given this gap, highlighting and mapping these models can provide insights into the range of existing strategies, identify common components, and gaps. Furthermore, available studies often vary in how group support models are defined, structured, and implemented, making it difficult to determine which components are most impactful and scalable within resource-constrained settings in SSA. This lack of clarity creates an important evidence gap for policymakers and program implementers seeking to optimise HIV prevention strategies for AGYW. In addition, most existing reviews have focused broadly on HIV prevention or PrEP adherence interventions wit