Digital Commons Network^™

The Role Of Ict In Antiretroviral Therapy-Related Knowledge Seeking Among Older Chinese Living With Hiv, Yao Zhang, Xiaoming Li Ph.D., Shan Qiao Ph.D., Yuejiao Zhou, Zhiyong Shen

Faculty Publications

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) enables HIV patients to reduce disease progression. ART adherence is closely related to patients’ knowledge about the medical treatment. This study investigated the role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in supporting ART-related knowledge seeking among older Chinese with HIV, using cross-sectional data collected from 2012 to 2013 in Guangxi, China. Of the 2987 HIV patients, 688 were 45 years or older and going through ART. We used an 11-item scale (α=0.69), which was developed based on existing literature, to assess ART-related knowledge to obtain a composite score (0-11). Less than 5% of the participants sought HIV-related …

Women’S Socio-Economic Empowerment And Uptake Of Hiv Testing In Ethiopia, Dawit Alemu

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Sub-Sahran Africa constitute two-thirds of all people living with HIV in the world. HIV infection rate is high in the continent with women comprising 56% of new HIV infections among adults 15 and older. Women 15 to 24 are the most affected constituting 66 % of new infections occurring among this age group. The purpose of this study was to examine how gender power relations between men and women affect health seeking behavior, particularly HIV testing, among Ethiopian women age15 to 49.

Methods: The Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) from 2016 served as the data source for …

Hiv Care Location: An Evaluation Of Single Versus Multi Facility Utilization Of Hiv/Aids Care Services And Patient Health Outcomes And Clinical Indicators In South Carolina, Melanie Gwynn

Theses and Dissertations

Background: On the HIV/AIDS care continuum, the “retention in care” metric does not distinguish between single-facility (SF) or multi-clinic utilization (MC), also described as HIV care location (or type). SF utilization is vital as it has been linked optimal clinical outcomes among People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH). Published research detailing the prevalence of HIV care type and its association with health outcomes/clinical indicators, has been studied only in limited urban settings. Additionally, coinfections such as sexually transmitted infections (STIs), have yet to be evaluated as potential predictive factors for HIV care type.

Methods: A cross-sectional design was used …

Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (Prep) For Hiv Prevention: A Mixed-Methods Study Of Sexual Risks And Knowledge, Perceptions, And Willingness Of Prep Use Among African American Women In The South, Jamie Troutman

Theses and Dissertations

There are approximately 1.1 million people living with HIV in United States, with nearly 40,000 new diagnoses annually. Significant regional and racial disparities are associated with HIV diagnoses — with the South experiencing the greatest burden of HIV and African American women accounting for 60% of new diagnoses among women. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has been designated as an effective tool to prevent HIV transmission among individuals who may be at risk of HIV infection. Earlier PrEP research has focused mainly on at-risk groups such as men who have sex with men (MSM). Previous PrEP research involving African American women included …

Effects Of Human Dopamine Transporter (Dat) Mutations And Novel Allosteric Modulatory Compounds In Disrupting Hiv-1 Tat-Dat Protein Interaction, Pamela Marie P. Quizon

Theses and Dissertations

More than 37 million people are living with HIV worldwide. Despite the widespread use of antiretroviral therapy (ART), up to 70% of HIV-positive individuals suffer from cognitive and behavioral deficits collectively known as HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). HIV-mediated damage to the dopaminergic system is a mediating factor in HAND. Dopamine (DA) transporter (DAT)-mediated reuptake is essential for maintaining DA homeostasis. Because most ART cannot efficiently cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), the brain serves as a viral reservoir that facilitates the spread of infection to microglia and astrocytes. Infected cells shed viral proteins such as Tat, which plays a critical role …

Using Big Data Analytics To Improve Hiv Medical Care Utilisation In South Carolina: A Study Protocol, Bankole Olatosi, Jiajia Zhang, Sharon Weissman, Jianjun Hu, Mohammad Rifat Haider, Xiaoming Li

Faculty Publications

Introduction Linkage and retention in HIV medical care remains problematic in the USA. Extensive health utilisation data collection through electronic health records (EHR) and claims data represent new opportunities for scientific discovery. Big data science (BDS) is a powerful tool for investigating HIV care utilisation patterns. The South Carolina (SC) office of Revenue and Fiscal Affairs (RFA) data warehouse captures individual-level longitudinal health utilisation data for persons living with HIV (PLWH). The data warehouse includes EHR, claims and data from private institutions, housing, prisons, mental health, Medicare, Medicaid, State Health Plan and the department of health and human services. The …

Food Insecurity And Violence In A Prospective Cohort Of Women At Risk For Or Living With Hiv In The U.S., Amy A. Conroy, Mardge H. Cohen, Edward A. Frongillo Jr., Alexander C. Tsai, Tracey E. Wilson, Eryka L. Wentz, Adaora A. Adimora, Daniel Merenstein, Ighovwerha Ofotokun, Lisa Metsch, Mirjam-Colette Kempf, Adebola Adedimeji, Janet M. Turan, Phyllis C. Tien, Sheri D. Weiser

Faculty Publications

Background Food insecurity and violence are two major public health issues facing U.S. women. The link between food insecurity and violence has received little attention, particularly regarding the temporal ordering of events. The present study used data from the Women’s Interagency Human Immunodeficiency Virus Study to investigate the longitudinal association of food insecurity and violence in a cohort of women at risk for or living with HIV.

Methods Study participants completed six assessments from 2013–16 on food insecurity (operationalized as marginal, low, and very low food security) and violence (sexual or physical, and psychological). We used multi-level logistic regression, controlling …

Immunological And Virologic Outcomes Of People Living With Hiv In Guangxi, China: 2012-2017, Xueying Yang, Xiaoming Li Ph.D., Shan Qiao Ph.D., Zhiyong Shen, Yuejiao Zhou

Faculty Publications

Background Limited data are available on clinical outcomes of people living with HIV (PLWH) in China, especially after the implementation of the 2016 national treatment guideline. The objective of the current study is to examine the treatment patterns, clinical outcomes and their associated factors among PLWH in Guangxi, China before and after this new guideline.

Methods Data from three community-based projects conducted at different time points over a period of six years (2012–2017) in Guangxi were analyzed in our study. The interviewer-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Measures of clinical outcomes were retrieved from the patients’ medical records. Descriptive …