Public Health Commons^™

Effectiveness Of Digital Media Technologybased Interventions On Hiv & Sti Risk Reduction Among Young People: A Metaanalysis, Paul Sherwin O. Tarnate, Keith Roger R. Serrano, Vanessa-Maria F. Torres-Ticzon, Kathlynne Anne A. Senen

Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health Publications

Background: Prevention strategies delivered through digital media technology (DMT) have been developed to reduce HIV incidence among young people. However, no best-practice DMT intervention strategies exist in handling HIV prevention programs among young people. Objectives: To determine the effectiveness of DMT-based interventions in reducing risk-taking behaviours among young people that may predispose them to acquiring HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. Subjects and Selection Criteria: Randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies with rigorous controls comparing DMT-based interventions and controls on reducing risk-taking behaviors among young people aged 10-24 years were included. Data Collection: Search methods were done on the following: …

Anxiety Among Women Living With Hiv In Kazakhstan, Kathryn Emily Mishkin

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Research shows that mental illness has an impact on the health and quality of life of women living with HIV. As a result, many countries have adopted integrated care models to provide holistic treatment to women living with HIV. However, some countries, where the HIV burden is particularly high, have been ineffective at addressing the mental health needs of these women, primarily because of a compartmentalized health care structure that limits interaction among sectors. By describing the prevalence of anxiety and comorbid anxiety-depression among women living with HIV in affected areas, there is an opportunity for effective policies to be …

Association Of Serum Pcsk9 With Carotid Artery Thickness And Carotid Lesions In Women With Hiv And Hepatitis C Virus, Michael Patrick Searles

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Background: Increase in risk for coronary artery disease (CAD) is a well-documented for HIV-infected (HIV+) populations. A precursor of cardiovascular events in HIV+ populations are non-calcified plaque (lesion) formations and can be associated with arterial inflammation, monocyte aggregation and dendritic cell activation. PCSK9 a known modulator of LDL cholesterol, has also been shown to contribute to inflammation, dendritic cell activation, monocyte aggregation and potentially plaque formations.

Does A History Of Sexual And Physical Childhood Abuse Contribute To Hiv Infection Risk In Adulthood? A Study Among Post-Natal Women In Harare, Zimbabwe, Simukai Shamu, Patience Shamu, Christina Zarowsky, Marleen Temmerman, Tamara Shefer, Naeemah Abrahams

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background: Sexual and physical abuse in childhood creates a great health burden including on mental and reproductive health. A possible link between child abuse and HIV infection has increasingly attracted attention. This paper investigated whether a history of child physical and sexual abuse is associated with HIV infection among adult women.

Methods: A cross sectional survey was conducted among 2042 postnatal women (mean age = 26y) attending six public primary health care clinics in Harare, Zimbabwe within 6 weeks post-delivery. Clinic records were reviewed for mother’s antenatal HIV status. Participants were interviewed about childhood abuse including physical or …

Examining The Effects Of Indiana’S Syringe Exchange Program On New Hepatitis C And Hiv Diagnoses From 2015-2017, Katherine Youngen

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

In 2015, a rural Indiana county experienced an outbreak of HIV related to intravenous drug use. 181 people were diagnosed with HIV between Oct. 1, 2014 and Nov. 1, 2015. This outbreak prompted the state legislature to implement a policy that legalized syringe exchange programs for the first time ever in Indiana. This capstone attempts to summarize the situation that led to the creation of this policy and the effects of this policy, Indiana Senate Enrolled Act 461 (IN SEA 461). Finally, this capstone makes recommendations for modifying the existing policy or implementing a similar policy in an area experiencing …

Maintaining Confidentiality Among Hiv Infected Couples: Physicians' Patterns Of Decision In Nigeria, Francess Uju Ayaebene

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Policies mandating HIV status disclosure to decrease incidence create ethical challenges for physicians on whether to breach or maintain infected patients' confidentiality. In Sub-Saharan Africa where HIV incidence is high, there is a need for clear guidelines/policies on making confidentiality decisions. The purpose of this quantitative quasi experiment was to determine whether the gender, gender orientation, and sexual relationship of an infected patient and physicians' demographics predicted physicians' decisions to breach confidentiality. In Plateau State, Nigeria, 222 physicians were given vignette questionnaires containing 6 different descriptions of gender, gender orientation, and sexual relationships of a hypothetical patient. Each physician decided …

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 …

The Self-Perceived Cultural Competency Of Hiv Interventionists, Tonya Herring

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite significant research and inroads with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), disparities in HIV infection continue to widen for African American (AA) men who have sex with men (MSM). In recent times, cultural competence has been receiving increased attention as a possible factor to enhance the quality of health messaging and lessening HIV disparities. However, there is a dearth of research specifically dedicated to AA MSM and culturally competent HIV health messages. To address this gap, this qualitative research was designed to investigate the self-perceived cultural competency among HIV counselors. The theoretical framework for the project was the PEN-3 cultural …

Hiv Testing Among Nigerian Men Who Have Sex With Men After Criminalization Of Homosexuality, Gerald Onyeka Ileka

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Men who have sex with men (MSM) are at high risk of HIV in Nigeria. However, African countries like Nigeria, Botswana, Mali, and Mozambique have laws that prohibit homosexuality, making it a punishable crime in these countries. For example, the Nigerian government signed the anti-gay law in 2014. Laws like these affect the health status and outcomes among Nigerian MSM. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the influence criminalization of homosexuality has on the willingness to test for HIV among MSM in Abuja, Nigeria. Guided by the socio-political theory (SP) as the theoretical framework, a qualitative approach …

Developing An Evidence-Based Hiv Testing Message For Young African American Women, Melanie P. Moore

Theses and Dissertations

African American women have the highest rates of HIV infection among women of all racial/ethnic groups in the United States, and over 50% of HIV infected young adults are unaware of their infection. HIV testing is a cost-effective mechanism for reducing HIV transmission. Despite this, limited research has been devoted to developing interventions specifically promoting HIV testing. This two-part study proposed to address this gap through developing a culturally tailored HIV testing message aimed at increasing HIV test intentions among young African American women. Study 1 was a quantitative study that examined predictors of HIV testing history and future HIV …

Hpv And Hsv Associated Clinical Conditions Among People Living With Hiv-1 Infection, Yuanfan Ye

All ETDs from UAB

This dissertation research focuses on investigating health burdens of HPV- and HSV- associated clinical conditions (CC) in people living with HIV-1 infection (PLWH) in the Southeastern United States. I designed a retrospective study using the UAB 1917 HIV Clinic Cohort. Electronic health records of PLWH attending the clinic for HIV-care between January 2006 and March 2019 were obtained and reviewed. I first examined incidence rates and trends of anogenital HPV- and HSV-associated CC. Then I adopted a new algorithm to group longitudinal CD4 cell counts based on their trajectories. I compared it with nadir and median CD4 cell counts in …

Hiv Diagnosis Disclosure To Infected Children And Adolescents; Challenges Of Family Caregivers In The Central Region Of Ghana, Anna Hayfron-Benjamin, Dorcas Obiri-Yeboah, Stephen Ayisi-Addo, Peter Mate Siakwa, Sylvia Mupepi

Peer Reviewed Articles

Background

Disclosure of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) to infected older children and adolescents is essential for both personal health maintenance and HIV prevention within the larger population. Non-disclosure of HIV status has been identified as one of the potential barriers to optimum adherence especially in children and adolescents. Like many other countries in the SSA region, Ghana has significant number of children and adolescents infected by HIV, who have increased survival times, due to increased access to ART. However, both family caregivers and healthcare workers face an array of challenges with the disclosure process, including the timing, what information about …

Characteristics Of Adolescents Living With Hiv Receiving Care And Treatment Services In Antiretroviral Therapy Clinics In Cambodia: Descriptive Findings From A Cross-Sectional Study., Siyan Yi, Sovannary Tuot, Khuondyla Pal, Vohith Khol, Say Sok, Pheak Chhoun, Laura Ferguson, Gitau Mburu

BACKGROUND: Adolescents living with HIV experience worse HIV care outcomes compared to adults, especially during transition from pediatric to adult care. However, data regarding adolescents are limited. This paper describes and compares characteristics of male and female adolescents living with HIV preparing for transition from pediatric to adult care in Cambodia.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in August 2016 among 328 adolescents aged 15-17, randomly selected from 11 antiretroviral therapy (ART) clinics. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire, and descriptive analyses were conducted to compare characteristics of male and female adolescents.

RESULTS: Of total, 55.2% were male, and …

Substance Use Patterns Among Women Living With Hiv Compared With The General Female Population Of Canada, Mostafa Shokoohi, Greta R Bauer, Angela Kaida, Ashley Lacombe-Duncan, Mina Kazemi, Brenda Gagnier, Alexandra De Pokomandy, Mona Loutfy

Epidemiology and Biostatistics Publications

BACKGROUND: HIV infection and substance use synergistically impact health outcomes of people with HIV. In this study, we assessed the prevalence of substance use among women living with HIV (WLWH) and compared them with expected values from general data.

METHODS: Cigarette smoking, frequency of alcohol consumption, last-month non-prescribed cannabis use (vs. last-year use), and last 3 months regular (≥once/week) and occasional (

RESULTS: Compared to expected estimates from general population women, a higher proportion of WLWH reported daily cigarette smoking (SPD: 26.8% [95% CI: 23.9, 29.7]), smoking ≥20 cigarettes/day (SPD: 11.6% [9.8, 13.6]), regular non-prescribed cannabis use (SPD: 8.0% [4.1, …

Permanent Housing And On-Site Nursing Care: Effects On Homeless Individuals With Hiv And Other Cormorbidities, Lynelle Hinden

Dissertations

Abstract

Problem. Providing housing to otherwise homeless individuals who are HIV/AIDS-positive has been demonstrated to improve control of the disease. This was a healthcare quality initiative to review the viral load and Cluster of Differentiation Protein Four positive (CD4+) counts over time of residents in an urban housing facility for HIV/AIDS-positive individuals. Also, a nurse-run clinic was introduced for residents, especially those with comorbidities such as hypertension and diabetes.

Methods. A repeated measures design was utilized. Viral loads and CD4+ counts were retrospectively reviewed from facility records at entrance into and five-years later at the facility. Additionally, measurements of blood …

Pediatric To Adult Healthcare Transitioning For Adolescents Living With Hiv In Nigeria: A National Survey, Okikiolu A. Badejo, William A. Menson, Nadia A. Sam-Agudu, Jennifer Pharr, Salome Erekaha, Tamara Bruno, Gift Nwanne, Olabanjo Ogunsola, Jude Ilozumba, Olusegun Busari, Echezona E. Ezeanolue

School of Public Health Faculty Research

Introduction The period of transition from pediatric to adult care has been associated with poor health outcomes among 10–19 year old adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV). This has prompted a focus on the quality of transition services, especially in high ALHIV-burden countries. Due to lack of guidelines, there are no healthcare transition standards for Nigeria’s estimated 240,000 ALHIV. We conducted a nationwide survey to characterize routine transition procedures for Nigerian ALHIV. Materials and methods This cross-sectional survey was conducted at public healthcare facilities supported by five local HIV service implementing partners. Comprehensive HIV treatment facilities with ≥1 year of HIV …

Injection Partners, Hcv, And Hiv Status Among Rural Persons Who Inject Drugs In Puerto Rico, Patrick Habecker, Roberto Abadie, Melissa L. Welch-Lazoritz, Juan Carlos Reyes, Bilal Khan, Kirk Dombrowski

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Background—The prevalence of hepatitis C (HCV) and HIV among persons who inject drugs (PWID) and the ability of these diseases to spread through injection networks are well documented in urban areas. However, less is known about injection behaviors in rural areas.

Objectives—This study focuses on the association between the number of self-reported injection partners with the PWID’s self-reported HCV and HIV status. Injection networks provide paths for infection and information to flow, and are important to consider when developing prevention and intervention strategies.

Methods—Respondent driven sampling was used to conduct 315 interviews with PWID in rural Puerto Rico during 2015. …

Spatial Distribution Of Partner-Seeking Men Who Have Sex With Men Using Geosocial Networking Apps: Epidemiologic Study, Angel B. Algarin, Patrick J. Ward, W. Jay Christian, Abby E. Rudolph, Ian W. Holloway, April M. Young

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background: Geosocial networking apps have made sexual partner-seeking easier for men who have sex with men, raising both challenges and opportunities for human immunodeficiency virus and sexually transmitted infection prevention and research. Most studies on men who have sex with men geosocial networking app use have been conducted in large urban areas, despite research indicating similar patterns of online- and app-based sex-seeking among men who have sex with men in rural and midsize cities.

Objective: The goal of our research was to examine the spatial distribution of geosocial networking app usage and characterize areas with increasing numbers of partner-seeking men …

Thrive With Me: Protocol For A Randomized Controlled Trial To Test A Peer Support Intervention To Improve Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence Among Men Who Have Sex With Men, Keith J. Horvath, K. Rivet Amico, Darin Erickson, Alexandra M. Ecklund, Aldona Martinka, James Dewitt, Jeffrey Mclaughlin, Jeffrey T. Parsons

Publications and Research

Background: The suboptimal rate of viral suppression among persons aged 13 years and older and residing in 37 states and the District of Columbia leaves considerable opportunities for onward transmission and contributes to poor health outcomes. Men who have sex with men (MSM) represent one of the most at-risk groups in the United States. There is a clear and continued need for innovative adherence support programs to optimize viral suppression. To address this gap, we designed and are implementing a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to test the efficacy of the Thrive with Me intervention for MSM living with HIV. Critical …

Implementation Of Prevention Of Mother To Child Transmission Of Hiv Program In South Jakarta, Fase Badriah, Minsarnawati Tahangnacca, Raihana Alkaff, Takeru Abe, Laily Hanifah

Kesmas

Even though Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) program has been running in Indonesia since 2006, the proportion of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected pregnant women remains high in some districts in Indonesia. The PMTCT program aims to reduce transmission of HIV from mother to child. Thus it requires an examination of the PMTCT program implementation. The study was a qualitative study on PMTCT program implementation in South Jakarta, Indonesia, whereas the proportion of children with HIV positive in the area was quite high. The analysis used domain analysis by looking the implementation of PMTCT as a system consisting of …

Hiv Mortality Difference Between Black And White Women, Carlos O. Nesbeth, Rajiv Kandala, Syed Najeeb, Ruksana Nazneen, Banglore Murthy

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

OBJECTIVE

In the United States, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) continues to be among the top 10 leading causes of mortality for black women between the ages of 20 and 54¹, but does not rank among the top 10 leading causes of death for white women amongst all age groups^². This study describes the HIV mortality difference between black and white women and formulate hypotheses that may reduce or eliminate disparities.

METHODS

Information was accessed through public data, the US Census, and the US Compressed Mortality File.

RESULTS

In these descriptive data from 1987 through 2015, including reliable HIV …

Global Stability For A 2n + 1 Dimensional Hiv/Aids Epidemic Model With Treatments, Olusegun Michael Otunuga

Mathematics Faculty Research

In this work, we derive and analyze a 2n + 1-dimensional deterministic differential equation modeling the transmission and treatment of HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) disease. The model is extended to a stochastic differential equation by introducing noise in the transmission rate of the disease. A theoretical treatment strategy of regular HIV testing and immediate treatment with Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) is investigated in the presence and absence of noise. By defining R0, n, Rt, n and Rt,n as the deterministic basic reproduction number in the absence of ART treatments, deterministic basic reproduction number in the presence of …

Hiv-Related Knowledge, Attitudes, And Behaviors In Two Low Resource Settings, Candice Lynn Collins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Two Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) outbreaks occurred almost simultaneously in the United States (US) (2014-2015) and in Cambodia (2015). Information is lacking on HIV-related knowledge, stigmatizing attitudes, and high-risk behaviors (KAB) among the general population, which may affect the transmission of HIV and lead to outbreaks. The current study aimed to: 1) assess KAB among the general population in a high-risk county in the US, 2) analyze KAB among the general population of Cambodia, and 3) compare KAB across samples from a high-risk county in Northeast Tennessee and a province in Cambodia. Tennessee data were collected in 2017 and Cambodian …

An Hiv-Positive Patient With Copd Admitted To The Icu With Respiratory Failure, Bhavani Puskur, Veronica Corcino, Srikant Ramachandruni, Viswanathan Nagarajan, Forest W. Arnold

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Adverse Childhood Experiences On Hiv Risk Behaviors Using A Nationally Representative Sample From 2011 And 2012, Elaine Loudermilk, Megan Quinn, Liang Wang

Appalachian Student Research Forum

Introduction: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been linked with negative physical and mental health outcomes in adulthood. A limited amount of literature has discussed the impact of individual ACEs on HIV risk behaviors using nationally representative data.

Objective: This study investigated how ACEs impact HIV risk behaviors using cross-sectional data from the 2011 and 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).

Methods: Data were obtained from BRFSS for 2011 and 2012. Only states that answered the optional ACE questionnaire were included in the study. All ten ACEs were categorized into abuse (parents physically hurt you in any way or parents …

Hiv Clustering In Mississippi: Spatial Epidemiological Study To Inform Implementation Science In The Deep South, Thomas J. Stopka, Lauren Brinkley-Rubinstein, Kendra Johnson, Philip A. Chan, Marga Hutcheson, Richard A. Crosby, Deirdre Burke, Leandro Mena, Amy Nunn

Health, Behavior & Society Faculty Publications

Background: In recent years, more than half of new HIV infections in the United States occur among African Americans in the Southeastern United States. Spatial epidemiological analyses can inform public health responses in the Deep South by identifying HIV hotspots and community-level factors associated with clustering.

Objective: The goal of this study was to identify and characterize HIV clusters in Mississippi through analysis of state-level HIV surveillance data.

Methods: We used a combination of spatial epidemiology and statistical modeling to identify and characterize HIV hotspots in Mississippi census tracts (n=658) from 2008 to 2014. We conducted spatial analyses of all …

Rural And Urban Injection Drug Use In Puerto Rico: Network Implications For Human Immunodeficiency Virus And Hepatitis C Virus Infection, Courtney Thrash, Melissa L. Welch-Lazoritz, G. Robin Gauthier, Bilal Khan, Roberto Abadie, Kirk Dombrowski, Sandra Miranda De Leon, Yadira Rolon Colon

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Understanding the short- and long-term transmission dynamics of blood-borne illnesses in network contexts represents an important public health priority for people who inject drugs and the general population that surrounds them. The purpose of this article is to compare the risk networks of urban and rural people who inject drugs in Puerto Rico. In the current study, network characteristics are drawn from the sampling “trees” used to recruit participants to the study. We found that injection frequency is the only factor significantly related to clustering behavior among both urban and rural people who inject drugs.

Facilitators And Barriers For Hiv-Testing In Zambia: A Systematic Review Of Multi-Level Factors, Shan Qiao Ph.D., Yao Zhang, Xiaoming Li Ph.D., J. Anitha Menon

Faculty Publications

It was estimated that 1.2 million people live with HIV/AIDS in Zambia by 2015. Zambia has developed and implemented diverse programs to reduce the prevalence in the country. HIVtesting is a critical step in HIV treatment and prevention, especially among all the key populations. However, there is no systematic review so far to demonstrate the trend of HIV-testing studies in Zambia since 1990s or synthesis the key factors that associated with HIVtesting practices in the country. Therefore, this study conducted a systematic review to search all English literature published prior to November 2016 in six electronic databases and retrieved 32 …

Mobile Link - A Theory-Based Messaging Intervention For Improving Sexual And Reproductive Health Of Female Entertainment Workers In Cambodia: Study Protocol Of A Randomized Controlled Trial, Carinne M. Brody, Sovannary Tuot, Pheak Chhoun, Dallas Swendenman, Kathryn C. Kaplan, Siyan Yi

BACKGROUND: In Cambodia, HIV prevalence is concentrated in key populations including among female entertainment workers (FEWs) who may engage in direct or indirect sex work. Reaching FEWs with sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services has been difficult because of their hidden and stigmatized nature. Mobile-phone-based interventions may be an effective way to reach this population and connect them with the existing services. This article describes study design and implementation of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of a mobile health intervention (the Mobile Link) aiming to improve SRH and related outcomes among FEWs in Cambodia.

METHODS: A two-arm RCT will be …

Social-Support Needs Among Adolescents Living With Hiv In Transition From Pediatric To Adult Care In Cambodia: Findings From A Cross-Sectional Study, Graham Toth, Gitau Mburu, Sovannary Tuot, Vohith Khol, Chanrith Ngin, Pheak Chhoun, Siyan Yi

BACKGROUND: Understanding the circumstances of adolescents living with HIV is critical in designing adolescent-friendly services that will facilitate successful transition from pediatric to adult care. This study describes access, utilization and ongoing social support needs among adolescents living with HIV aged 15-17 in transition from pediatric to adult HIV care in Cambodia.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 328 adolescents, randomly selected from 11 antiretroviral therapy (ART) clinics across the country. Descriptive analyses were conducted to summarize their characteristics, access to social support and ongoing support needs among male and female adolescents.

RESULTS: Mean age of the study participants …