The Positive Outcomes for Orphans (POFO) Study is an ongoing longitudinal study following a cohort of 3,000 orphaned and separated children (OSC) living in residential care or family-based settings in five low- and middle-income countries: Cambodia, Ethiopia, Kenya, India, and Tanzania.
The focus of this longitudinal research of OSC is to examine the influence of life events, placement, caregiver characteristics, and cultural setting on the children's:
- behavioral and emotional adjustment,
- learning and development, and
- health outcomes
Currently, the POFO study is in its third round of NIH funding, with a new focus on identifying predictors of HIV-risk behaviors and HIV testing and engagement for the OSC cohort as they transition into young adulthood. Results will be used to develop locally acceptable and thus more effective targeted HIV prevention programs for OSC.
(For more detailed information about POFO findings, please see our Publications page)
