E-WORTH stands for “Empowering African-American Women on the Road to Health.” It is
designed to build positive peer norms and social support for HIV risk reduction while allowing
participants to move through content, complete activities, and create plans at their own pace.
Developed by researchers at Columbia University’s Social Intervention Group (SIG) and Center
for Teaching and Learning (CTL), the course extends the reach of HIV prevention interventions
online and onto a range of devices including computers, tablets, and smart phones.
The course began as a National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) funded research project in
2008. It was conceived as a way to address drug use and HIV prevention intervention for Black,
low-income women involved in the justice system by specifically addressing intimate partner
violence and other gender-specific risk factors for HIV. Built on evidence-based practices, the
original course was rigorously tested and found to be efficacious. This new iteration of E-WORTH hopes to extend that efficacy to an even larger audience.
Columbia University's Social Intervention Group
Dr. Louisa Gilbert, E-WORTH Principal Investigator and Co-Director at the SIG
Dr. Nabila El-Bassel, Director of the SIG, E-WORTH Co-Principal Investigator
Dr. Elwin Wu, Co-Director of the SIG, E-WORTH Co-Principal Investigator
Timothy Hunt, Director of Training and Capacity Building at the SIG, E-WORTH Co-Principal Investigator
Dr. Karen Johnson, Associate Research Scientist of the SIG, E-WORTH’s Project Director
Center for Teaching and Learning at Columbia University
