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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences
Effects Of Hepatitis On Human Immunodeficiency Virus Viral Suppression, Andrenita Checoby West
Effects Of Hepatitis On Human Immunodeficiency Virus Viral Suppression, Andrenita Checoby West
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Coinfection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and viral hepatitis leads to unfavorable health outcomes, making treatment of HIV difficult and increasing the odds of HIV transmission. The purpose of this study is to assess whether viral hepatitis (B and C) hinders HIV viral suppression and impacts the white blood cell count (CD4) when a person is concurrently infected with both viruses. The syndemics theory guided this study. Two research questions tested whether there was an association between coinfection with viral hepatitis and HIV viral load suppression. The research design was quantitative case-control with secondary data from 65,626 reports of HIV, …
Receiving Positive Hiv Test Results From Home Testing And Suicidality, Nekeisha A. Hewitt
Receiving Positive Hiv Test Results From Home Testing And Suicidality, Nekeisha A. Hewitt
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Limited studies have been conducted on whether receiving a positive result from at-home HIV testing correlates with suicidality (suicidal attempt or ideation). Based on the Ajzen theory of planned behavior, this cross-sectional study comprises a surveyed convenience sample of (N = 213) HIV -positive or negative adults who either tested for HIV at home or in-clinic. The purpose of this study was to explore any association between testing positive for HIV using the HIV at-home test kit and (a) suicidal attempt and (b) suicidal ideation; also, to discover any association between (c) HIV-negative and suicidality and (d) all HIV-positives …
Substance Use, Mental Health Problems And Missed Appointments By Race, Gender, And Sexual Orientation Among Hiv-Infected Individuals, Abraham Adonis Anderson
Substance Use, Mental Health Problems And Missed Appointments By Race, Gender, And Sexual Orientation Among Hiv-Infected Individuals, Abraham Adonis Anderson
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) disproportionately affects African American men who have sex with men. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2020 African American adult and adolescent African American men accounted for 42% (16,002) of all HIV diagnoses (37,968). Furthermore, while substance use is common among this population, in previous studies very few individuals with HIV have reported receiving substance abuse treatment or discussing substance use with HIV medical providers. The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in substance use/mental health problems by race, gender, and sexual orientation among HIV-infected individuals. This study also …
Leadership, Quality Improvement, Team Functionality, And Hiv Viral Load Suppression In Uganda, Esther Karungi Karamagi Nkolo
Leadership, Quality Improvement, Team Functionality, And Hiv Viral Load Suppression In Uganda, Esther Karungi Karamagi Nkolo
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Low viral load suppression rate is a significant public health issue in Uganda and similar countries. A nationwide quality improvement (QI) initiative was implemented from January 2019 to improve viral load suppression. Although QI team characteristics have been shown to influence the success of such QI initiatives, no studies have been found to understand how they influence the success of QI efforts to improve HIV viral load suppression in Uganda. The purpose of this cross-sectional, quantitative study was to determine whether there is a significant association between HIV clinic leader involvement in QI teams, QI team functionality, QI team diversity, …
Predictors Of Hiv Testing Amongst Women Of Childbearing Age In Nigeria, Hassana Bashir Yakasai
Predictors Of Hiv Testing Amongst Women Of Childbearing Age In Nigeria, Hassana Bashir Yakasai
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
HIV infection is still a public health issue in Nigeria. One of the sustainable development goal targets is to eliminate new HIV infections by the year 2030. Women of childbearing age are a vital group to focus on in eliminating new infections because HIV infection can be transmitted from women to their partners and their children. Nigeria accounts for about one-third of the cases of mother-to-child infections in the world. The purpose of this three manuscript dissertation was to investigate socioecological factors, demographic factors and knowledge of mother-to-child transmission of HIV infection (MTCT) as they relate to HIV testing in …
Voluntary Male Circumcision And Risk For Human Immunodeficiency Virus In Homa Bay, Kenya, George Obhai Gabriel
Voluntary Male Circumcision And Risk For Human Immunodeficiency Virus In Homa Bay, Kenya, George Obhai Gabriel
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The role played by the belief about voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) in predicting HIV status has not been examined. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there were any differences between belief about VMMC, unprotected sex, age, number of sexual partners, relationship status, and HIV status among circumcised males aged between 18-49 years in Homa Bay County, Kenya. Drawing from the health belief model and case-control study design, 936 men were recruited based on their HIV status (468 HIV cases and 468 controls). A bivariate logistic regression was applied, and the results indicated that unprotected sex, age, …
Risks For Hiv Infection Among Adolescent Girls And Young Women In Mozambique, Isabelle Casavant
Risks For Hiv Infection Among Adolescent Girls And Young Women In Mozambique, Isabelle Casavant
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) living in Sub-Saharan African countries constitute 17% of the population, yet they account for one third of all new human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections. To prevent HIV infections among AGYW, it is necessary to understand why they are disproportionally infected. The purpose of the dissertation was to identify risk for HIV among AGYW living in a southern district of Mozambique. The analysis was driven by the Modified Socio Ecological Model and performed using a quantitative dataset collected for the Chokwe Combination Prevention of HIV (N=3354). Logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess whether an …
Impact Of Education On Hiv Testing Among African American Women In The United States, Florence Matimbah Mbangowah
Impact Of Education On Hiv Testing Among African American Women In The United States, Florence Matimbah Mbangowah
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Improved and increased human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing among African American women in the United States could facilitate early detection of the virus. The purpose of this cross-sectional quantitative study was to determine if there was a significant association between HIV testing participation and education level (i.e., high school, college, post-college level) based on access to healthcare after accounting for insurance, income, employment, marital status, English language proficiency, and vision quality. The integrated theory of health behavior change, the theoretical framework used for this research, proposes that changes in health behavior can be improved by various factors such as fostering …
Predictors Of Hiv Testing Among African American Men Who Have Sex With Men, Jeanette Marie Higgins
Predictors Of Hiv Testing Among African American Men Who Have Sex With Men, Jeanette Marie Higgins
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections affect more than 1.2 million people living in the United States and disproportionately affect African Americans (AA) men who have sex with men (MSM). The numbers of those who have HIV infections are likely higher due to lack of HIV testing by all individuals living at risk for HIV in the United States. Prior research has been inconclusive in determining the exact cause of the disparity among AA MSM. Therefore, the purpose of this quantitative secondary data study was to explore barriers to HIV testing within the AA MSM population. The sample for this study …
Social And Structural Barriers To Safer Sex Among Heterosexual Female Sex Workers, Erika Nikole Harding-Davis
Social And Structural Barriers To Safer Sex Among Heterosexual Female Sex Workers, Erika Nikole Harding-Davis
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Individuals infected with HIV through heterosexual contact made up 24% (9,578) of all new infections in the United States. Female sex workers are at increased risk of getting HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STI) because they may be more likely to participate in risky sexual behaviors including sex with multiple partners and condom-less anal/vaginal sex. Guided by the syndemic theory, the purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between social and structural factors (homelessness, substance use, immigration status, and use of healthcare) and risky sexual behaviors (condom-less vaginal sex and multiple sex partners) among female sex workers …
Challenges Of Aging With The Hiv Virus And Comorbidities, Rommie Navylia Abele
Challenges Of Aging With The Hiv Virus And Comorbidities, Rommie Navylia Abele
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Since the introduction of antiretroviral therapy, the survival rate of infected HIV patients has been on the rise with a predicted increase by 2030. The longer a person lives with the virus, the more prone to HIV-associated chronic diseases he or she becomes, but it is not clear whether these diseases are solely from aging with the virus or from long-term use of antiretroviral therapy. Scientists demonstrated that the introduction of antiretroviral therapy led to an increased life expectancy yet early onset of comorbidities; however, they failed to address the challenges that people 50 years old or older face, as …
Adherence To Antiretroviral Medicines Among Adolescents And Young Adults In Benue State, Nigeria, Amom Tor-Anyiin
Adherence To Antiretroviral Medicines Among Adolescents And Young Adults In Benue State, Nigeria, Amom Tor-Anyiin
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Adherence to ARV medicines is essential to halt HIV progression, increase CD4 counts, decrease virologic impact, and improve quality of life for the infected people. However, sustaining good adherence among adolescents and young adults (AYA) has been a challenge caused by various problems such as distance to clinic, improved CD4 count which lead to complacency in adherence, and the nature of the environment. This was a quantitative, retrospective, correlational, cross-sectional study anchored by the transtheoretical model, which was used to understand how adherence rate among the study population was impacted by the predictive factors. Secondary data was collected from patient's …
Impact Of The Affordable Care Act On The Hiv Care Continuum, Ebere Erugo
Impact Of The Affordable Care Act On The Hiv Care Continuum, Ebere Erugo
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
People living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS; PLWHA) are at increased risk of insufficient medical care due to lack of insurance. Inadequate medical care for PLWHA contributes to increases in HIV transmission rates. The U.S. Surveillance Report noted that in 2015, over 1.2 million people were living with HIV infection, and there were approximately 50,000 new infections every year. The report further stated that about 675,000 people have died from HIV-related illnesses since its discovery in 1981. The implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2014 was intended to provide Americans, including people at …
Hiv-Positive Status Disclosure Barriers In Stable Heterosexual Partners In Warri, Nigeria., Edith Nkechinyere Ogbozor
Hiv-Positive Status Disclosure Barriers In Stable Heterosexual Partners In Warri, Nigeria., Edith Nkechinyere Ogbozor
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Nondisclosure of positive status drives the secondary transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. This cross sectional quantitative survey study grounded by the consequence theory evaluates fear of stigma, lack of social support, and level of HIV-related knowledge as barriers to self-disclosure of HIV-positive status to stable heterosexual partners. A sample of 303 HIV-infected respondents (111 men and 192 women) accessing antiretroviral therapy at 4 designated centers in Warri, Nigeria, completed the self-administered questionnaires. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between these factors and spousal HIV-positive status disclosure. Results demonstrated: (a) social support availability significantly predicted HIV …
The Role Of Socio-Demographics Factors In Voluntary Counselling And Testing Uptake In South-Africa., Felix Ikechi Woke
The Role Of Socio-Demographics Factors In Voluntary Counselling And Testing Uptake In South-Africa., Felix Ikechi Woke
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Many researchers have alluded to the inequity in distribution of HIV preventive services in South Africa (SA). Other researchers have demonstrated that socio-demographic factors are main determinants of distribution of preventive services like voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) in SA. VCT is a primary HIV prevention tool through which infected persons enter the treatment, care, and support programs; identifying the impact of socio-demographic determinants (SDDs) on VCT uptake in SA could help direct VCT services to areas and individuals that need them most. The research question in this study examined what and how SDDs impact the uptake of VCT in …
Behaviors Related To Hiv Infections In Rural Versus Urban Regions Of Nigeria, Michael Ifeanyi Okeke
Behaviors Related To Hiv Infections In Rural Versus Urban Regions Of Nigeria, Michael Ifeanyi Okeke
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Efforts by the Federal Republic of Nigeria and international nongovernmental agencies to reduce the impact of HIV in Nigeria have not yielded the anticipated results. This study focused on the association between attitude, religious beliefs, knowledge of HIV, sexual risk behavior, and HIV epidemiology in rural and urban Nigeria. This quantitative study used social-cognitive theory and problem theory. The study was based on the Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2013 data including a sample of 33,006 participants. Specific covariates including gender, sexual partners over the past years, age at first sexual encounter, socioeconomic status, and literacy level were obtained …
Interrelationships Of Colorism, Violence, And Sexual Behaviors Among Southern African American Women., Phaedra Christensen
Interrelationships Of Colorism, Violence, And Sexual Behaviors Among Southern African American Women., Phaedra Christensen
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Two significant public health concerns that threaten both the physical and mental health of African-American women are Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). African-American women (AAW) in the south carry the greatest burden of HIV and disproportionately represent the region with an incidence of 71% for new HIV infections, and elevated rates of morbidity and mortality. In 2013, the murder rate among AAW was 2.5 times higher than it was among Caucasian women. Most of the published studies that explored the association between IPV and HIV had mixed populations, did not explore topics unique to AAs, or …
Social Network Correlates Of Hcv And Hiv Transmission Risk Behaviors Among Injecting Drug Users, Victor Emanuel Reyes-Ortiz
Social Network Correlates Of Hcv And Hiv Transmission Risk Behaviors Among Injecting Drug Users, Victor Emanuel Reyes-Ortiz
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Drug injection is an increasingly important risk factor in the transmission of blood-borne pathogens, including the hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The purpose of the study was to examine the influence of social network factors on HCV and HIV. The study was grounded in social network theory and sought to determine whether social network characteristics affect high-risk sexual and drug injection behavior as well as self-reported HIV and HCV status. The study design was a quantitative cross-sectional survey. A total of 181 participants in a needle exchange program completed a survey in Spanish assessing individual drug …
Vitamin D Deficiency And Immune Function In African American, Hiv-Infected Men, Rana H. Ismail
Vitamin D Deficiency And Immune Function In African American, Hiv-Infected Men, Rana H. Ismail
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Vitamin D deficiency is common in individuals diagnosed with HIV and is known for its detrimental health effects. Its recognition as a potent immune-modulator with possible immune health implications in HIV disease progression was the main impetus for this study. The association between Vitamin D and CD4 count falls short of being consistent and is too weak to allow conclusions. Similarly, the literature is inconsistent with regard to the impact of Vitamin D supplementation on CD4. This observational, retrospective chart review study aimed to explore the relationship between Vitamin D deficiency and CD4 count/percent, and to evaluate whether changes in …