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Comfort AB, Asiimwe S, Amaniyre G, Orrell C, Moody J, Musinguzi N, Bwana MB, Bangsberg DR, Haberer JE, Tsai AC. Social networks and HIV treatment adherence among people with HIV initiating treatment in rural Uganda and peri-urban South Africa. SSM Popul Health 2024; 25:101593. [PMID: 38292051 PMCID: PMC10825562 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2023.101593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 12/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Timely initiation of and adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is critical for improving HIV outcomes and reducing HIV transmissibility. Social networks, or the social relationships individuals have with each other, have been linked with positive health outcomes, but less is known about the extent to which social network composition and structure are associated with improved ART adherence among people living with HIV (PLWH). We conducted an ego-centric network study among 828 previously ART-naïve PLWH presenting for ART initiation at 11 clinics in Mbarara, Uganda (rural population) and Gugulethu, South Africa (peri-urban population). We collected social network data using name generator and name interpreter questions. ART adherence was monitored over 12 months using wireless monitors (Wisepill). Our primary outcome of interest was ART adherence during the 12-month follow-up period. We used generalized linear models to estimate the associations between network measures and ART adherence. PLWH at the Uganda site (compared with the South Africa site) were less isolated, had larger social networks, and had more social ties providing sufficient social support; they were also more likely to bridge different social groups whereby not all social ties were connected to each other. In Uganda, social isolation was associated with a 5.5 percentage point reduction in ART adherence (95% confidence interval [CI] -9.95 to -1.13; p = 0.014), while having more same gender social ties was associated with higher ART adherence (b = 0.13, 95% CI 0.02-0.25, p = 0.025). In South Africa, there was no association between social isolation and ART adherence, and having more friendship ties (vs. family ties) was associated with lower ART adherence (b = -2.20, 95% CI -3.56 to -0.84; p = 0.002). Identifying and supporting PLWH who are isolated may facilitate optimal adherence, but understanding how networks differentially affect ART adherence by country context is important.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison B. Comfort
- Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Francisco, 550 16th Street, 3rd Floor, San Francisco, CA, 94143-1224, USA
| | - Stephen Asiimwe
- Mbarara University of Science and Technology, P. O. Box 1410, Mbarara, Uganda
| | - Gideon Amaniyre
- Makerere University Joint AIDS Program, Plot 4B P.O.Box 7072 Kololo Hill Dr, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Catherine Orrell
- Desmond Tutu Health Foundation, 3 Woodlands Rd, Woodstock, 7915, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - James Moody
- Department of Sociology, 268 Soc/Psych Building, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708-0088, USA
| | - Nicholas Musinguzi
- Mbarara University of Science and Technology, P. O. Box 1410, Mbarara, Uganda
| | - Mwebesa Bosco Bwana
- Mbarara University of Science and Technology, P. O. Box 1410, Mbarara, Uganda
| | | | - Jessica E. Haberer
- Center for Global Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, 125 Nashua Street, Suite 722, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Alexander C. Tsai
- Center for Global Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, 125 Nashua Street, Suite 722, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
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Armoon B, Higgs P, Fleury MJ, Bayat AH, Moghaddam LF, Bayani A, Fakhri Y. Socio-demographic, clinical and service use determinants associated with HIV related stigma among people living with HIV/AIDS: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Health Serv Res 2021; 21:1004. [PMID: 34551772 PMCID: PMC8459487 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-021-06980-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Defining HIV-related stigma (HRS) can be problematic due to structural inequalities, cultural differences, discrimination by health care providers and the limitations of tools measuring stigma for people living with HIV (PLWH). This meta-analysis aimed to determine self-reported HRS and its association with socio-demographic and clinical determinants. Methods PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, PsycInfo, SciELO and Cochrane electronic databases were searched and after reviewing for study duplicates, the full-text of selected articles were assessed for eligibility using Population, Intervention, Comparator, Outcomes criteria. We used fixed and random-effects meta-analysis models to estimate the pooled prevalence, pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals. Results Thirty-one studies containing 10,475 participants met the eligibility criteria. Among the potential risk factors: age > 30 years (OR = 0.93, 95%CI = 0.86, 1), living with a spouse (OR = 0.07, 95%CI = 0.02, 0.17), CD4 count < 200 (OR = 0.5, 95% CI = 0.31, 0.68), medication adherence (OR = 0.96, 95%CI = 0.94, 0.99), poor access to care (OR = 0.79, 95%CI = 0.65, 0.93), time since diagnosis, and accessibility to care (OR = 0.37, 95%CI = 0.11, 0.86) were all significantly associated with self-reported HIV stigma among PWLH. Conclusion Stigma is correlated with numerous negative consequences in marginalised populations including PLWH. Considering the negative association that stigma has on HIV prevention and treatment targeted evidence-based stigma reduction interventions are recommended. Interventions that are focused on a particular group, such as healthcare professionals are warranted. Rigorously designed studies with specific and validated outcome measures associated with targeted interventions may help to improve the reduction of HRS for PLWH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bahram Armoon
- Research Center, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, 6875 LaSalle Blvd, Montreal, QC, H4H 1R3, Canada. .,Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, 1033, Pine Avenue West, Montreal, QC, H3A 1A1, Canada.
| | - Peter Higgs
- Department of Public Health, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Marie-Josée Fleury
- Research Center, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, 6875 LaSalle Blvd, Montreal, QC, H4H 1R3, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, 1033, Pine Avenue West, Montreal, QC, H3A 1A1, Canada.,Management, Evaluation and Health Policies Department, School of Public Health, Université de Montréal, 7101 av. du Parc, Montreal, QC, H3X1X9, Canada
| | - Amir-Hossien Bayat
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Saveh University of Medical Sciences, Saveh, Iran
| | - Ladan Fattah Moghaddam
- Department of nursing, faculty of nursing and midwifery, Tehran medical sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Azadeh Bayani
- Student Research Committee, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Yadollah Fakhri
- Social Determinants in Health Promotion Research Center, Hormozgan Health Institute, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
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Atukunda EC, Musiimenta A, Musinguzi N, Wyatt MA, Ashaba J, Ware NC, Haberer JE. Understanding Patterns of Social Support and Their Relationship to an ART Adherence Intervention Among Adults in Rural Southwestern Uganda. AIDS Behav 2017; 21:428-440. [PMID: 27671479 PMCID: PMC5288444 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-016-1559-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
SMS is a widely used technology globally and may also improve ART adherence, yet SMS notifications to social supporters following real-time detection of missed doses showed no clear benefit in a recent pilot trial. We examine the demographic and social-cultural dynamics that may explain this finding. In the trial, 63 HIV-positive individuals initiating ART received a real-time adherence monitor and were randomized to two types of SMS reminder interventions versus a control (no SMS). SMS notifications were also sent to 45 patient-identified social supporters for sustained adherence lapses. Like participants, social supporters were interviewed at enrollment, following their matched participant's adherence lapse and at exit. Social supporters with regular income (RR = 0.27, P = 0.001) were significantly associated with fewer adherence lapses. Instrumental support was associated with fewer adherence lapses only among social supporters who were food secure (RR = 0.58, P = 0.003). Qualitative interview data revealed diverse and complex economic and relationship dynamics, affecting social support. Resource availability in emotionally positive relationships seemingly facilitated helpful support, while limited resources prevented active provision of support for many. Effective social support appeared subject to social supporters' food security, economic stability and a well-functioning social network dependent on trust and supportive disclosure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther C Atukunda
- Global Health Collaborative, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda.
| | - Angella Musiimenta
- Global Health Collaborative, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
| | - Nicholas Musinguzi
- Global Health Collaborative, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
| | - Monique A Wyatt
- Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Justus Ashaba
- Global Health Collaborative, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
| | - Norma C Ware
- Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jessica E Haberer
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Center for Global Health, Boston, MA, USA
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Katz IT, Dietrich J, Tshabalala G, Essien T, Rough K, Wright AA, Bangsberg DR, Gray GE, Ware NC. Understanding treatment refusal among adults presenting for HIV-testing in Soweto, South Africa: a qualitative study. AIDS Behav 2015; 19:704-14. [PMID: 25304330 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-014-0920-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
HIV treatment initiatives have focused on increasing access to antiretroviral therapy (ART). There is growing evidence, however, that treatment availability alone is insufficient to stop the epidemic. In South Africa, only one third of individuals living with HIV are actually on treatment. Treatment refusal has been identified as a phenomenon among people who are asymptomatic, however, factors driving refusal remain poorly understood. We interviewed 50 purposively sampled participants who presented for voluntary counseling and testing in Soweto to elicit a broad range of detailed perspectives on ART refusal. We then integrated our core findings into an explanatory framework. Participants described feeling "too healthy" to start treatment, despite often having a diagnosis of AIDS. This subjective view of wellness was framed within the context of treatment being reserved for the sick. Taking ART could also lead to unintended disclosure and social isolation. These data provide a novel explanatory model of treatment refusal, recognizing perceived risks and social costs incurred when disclosing one's status through treatment initiation. Our findings suggest that improving engagement in care for people living with HIV in South Africa will require optimizing social integration and connectivity for those who test positive.
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Olds PK, Kiwanuka JP, Ware NC, Tsai AC, Haberer JE. Explaining antiretroviral therapy adherence success among HIV-infected children in rural Uganda: a qualitative study. AIDS Behav 2015; 19:584-93. [PMID: 25323679 PMCID: PMC4393764 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-014-0924-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
High adherence is critical for achieving clinical benefits of HIV antiretroviral therapy (ART) and particularly challenging for children. We conducted 35 qualitative interviews with caregivers of HIV-infected Ugandan children who were followed in a longitudinal study of real-time ART adherence monitoring; 18 participants had undetectable HIV RNA, while 17 had detectable virus. Interviews blinded to viral suppression status elicited information on adherence experiences, barriers and facilitators to adherence, and social support. Using an inductive content analytic approach, we identified 'lack of resources,' 'Lazarus effect,' 'caregiver's sense of obligation and commitment,' and 'child's personal responsibility' as categories of influence on adherence, and defined types of caregiver social support. Among children with viral suppression, high hopes for the child's future and ready access to private instrumental support appeared particularly important. These findings suggest clinical counseling should explore caregivers' views of their children's futures and ability to access support in overcoming adherence barriers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Julius P. Kiwanuka
- Department of Paediatrics, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
| | - Norma C. Ware
- Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alexander C. Tsai
- Department of Psychiatry and Center for Global Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jessica E. Haberer
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA;Department of Medicine and Center for Global Health, MGH Center for Global Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, 100 Cambridge St., 15th Floor, Boston, MA 02114, USA
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Wariva E, January J, Maradzika J. Medication Adherence Among Elderly Patients with High Blood Pressure in Gweru, Zimbabwe. J Public Health Afr 2014; 5:304. [PMID: 28299113 PMCID: PMC5345458 DOI: 10.4081/jphia.2014.304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2012] [Revised: 06/21/2013] [Accepted: 02/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
High blood pressure is a global health concern which is mainly managed by taking anti-hypertensive medications. Although medication is available to control high blood pressure, adhering to treatment is a major problem among hypertensive patients. The purpose of the study was to assess the predisposing, enabling and reinforcing factors to medication adherence among hypertensive patients in Gweru urban aged 40-70 years. A descriptive cross sectional study was used with a sample size of 110 conveniently sampled hypertensive patients. We used an interviewer administered questionnaire designed using phase 4 of the PRECEDE model. The modal age was 70 years and mean age was 58 years (SD=10.29). There were 61.8% females and 38.2% males. Variables associated with medication adherence were: age (P=0.0059), marital status (P=0.015), average monthly income (P=0.0002), support group (P=0.027) and knowledge (P=0.0058). Providing information to patients with high blood pressure and having a good patient-provider relationship improves medication adherence. There is need to focus on the predisposing, enabling and reinforcing factors of medication adherence since demographic and socio-economic factors may be more difficult to change.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - James January
- Department of Community Medicine, College of Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe
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Food insecurity is associated with increased risk of non-adherence to antiretroviral therapy among HIV-infected adults in the Democratic Republic of Congo: a cross-sectional study. PLoS One 2014; 9:e85327. [PMID: 24454841 PMCID: PMC3893174 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0085327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2013] [Accepted: 11/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Food insecurity is increasingly reported as an important barrier of patient adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) in both resource-poor and rich settings. However, unlike in resource rich-settings, very few quantitative studies to date have investigated the association of food insecurity with patient adherence to ART in Sub-Saharan Africa. The current study examines the association between food insecurity and adherence to ART among HIV-infected adults in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Methods and Findings This is a cross-sectional quantitative study of patients receiving ART at three private and one public health facilities in Kinshasa, DRC. Participants were consecutively recruited into the study between April and November 2012. Adherence was measured using a combined method coupling pharmacy refill and self-reported adherence. Food insecurity was the primary predictor, and was assessed using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS). Of the 898 participants recruited into the study, 512 (57%) were food insecure, and 188 (20.9%) were not adherent to ART. Food insecurity was significantly associated with non-adherence to ART (AOR, 2.06; CI, 1.38–3.09). We also found that perceived harmfulness of ART and psychological distress were associated respectively with increased (AOR, 1.95; CI, 1.15–3.32) and decreased (AOR, 0.31; CI, 0.11–0.83) odds of non-adherence to ART. Conclusion Food insecurity is prevalent and a significant risk factor for non-adherence to ART among HIV-infected individuals in the DRC. Our findings highlight the urgent need for strategies to improve food access among HIV-infected on ART in order to ensure patient adherence to ART and ultimately the long-term success of HIV treatment in Sub-Saharan Africa.
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Impact of HIV-related stigma on treatment adherence: systematic review and meta-synthesis. J Int AIDS Soc 2013; 16:18640. [PMID: 24242258 PMCID: PMC3833107 DOI: 10.7448/ias.16.3.18640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 715] [Impact Index Per Article: 65.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2013] [Revised: 08/22/2013] [Accepted: 08/29/2013] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Adherence to HIV antiretroviral therapy (ART) is a critical determinant of HIV-1 RNA viral suppression and health outcomes. It is generally accepted that HIV-related stigma is correlated with factors that may undermine ART adherence, but its relationship with ART adherence itself is not well established. We therefore undertook this review to systematically assess the relationship between HIV-related stigma and ART adherence. Methods We searched nine electronic databases for published and unpublished literature, with no language restrictions. First we screened the titles and abstracts for studies that potentially contained data on ART adherence. Then we reviewed the full text of these studies to identify articles that reported data on the relationship between ART adherence and either HIV-related stigma or serostatus disclosure. We used the method of meta-synthesis to summarize the findings from the qualitative studies. Results Our search protocol yielded 14,854 initial records. After eliminating duplicates and screening the titles and abstracts, we retrieved the full text of 960 journal articles, dissertations and unpublished conference abstracts for review. We included 75 studies conducted among 26,715 HIV-positive persons living in 32 countries worldwide, with less representation of work from Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Among the 34 qualitative studies, our meta-synthesis identified five distinct third-order labels through an inductive process that we categorized as themes and organized in a conceptual model spanning intrapersonal, interpersonal and structural levels. HIV-related stigma undermined ART adherence by compromising general psychological processes, such as adaptive coping and social support. We also identified psychological processes specific to HIV-positive persons driven by predominant stigmatizing attitudes and which undermined adherence, such as internalized stigma and concealment. Adaptive coping and social support were critical determinants of participants’ ability to overcome the structural and economic barriers associated with poverty in order to successfully adhere to ART. Among the 41 quantitative studies, 24 of 33 cross-sectional studies (71%) reported a positive finding between HIV stigma and ART non-adherence, while 6 of 7 longitudinal studies (86%) reported a null finding (Pearson's χ2=7.7; p=0.005). Conclusions We found that HIV-related stigma compromised participants’ abilities to successfully adhere to ART. Interventions to reduce stigma should target multiple levels of influence (intrapersonal, interpersonal and structural) in order to have maximum effectiveness on improving ART adherence.
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Musumari PM, Feldman MD, Techasrivichien T, Wouters E, Ono-Kihara M, Kihara M. “If I have nothing to eat, I get angry and push the pills bottle away from me”: A qualitative study of patient determinants of adherence to antiretroviral therapy in the Democratic Republic of Congo. AIDS Care 2013; 25:1271-7. [DOI: 10.1080/09540121.2013.764391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Adakun SA, Siedner MJ, Muzoora C, Haberer JE, Tsai AC, Hunt PW, Martin JN, Bangsberg DR. Higher baseline CD4 cell count predicts treatment interruptions and persistent viremia in patients initiating ARVs in rural Uganda. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2013; 62:317-21. [PMID: 23242160 PMCID: PMC3696032 DOI: 10.1097/qai.0b013e3182800daf] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
We examined the association between CD4 cell count and adherence in a cohort of Ugandans initiating antiretrovirals (ARVs). Outcomes were (a) adherence <90%; (b) any treatment interruptions > 72 hours; (c) number of treatment interruptions; and (d) HIV-RNA >400 copies/mL. We fit regression models to estimate associations with our exposure of interest, baseline CD4 cell count ≥ 250 cells/μL (n = 60) vs <250 cells/μL (n = 413). CD4 cell count ≥250 cells/μL was independently associated with increased odds and number of treatment interruptions and increased odds of persistent viremia. Interventions to support adherence in patients with higher CD4 cell counts should be considered as drug availability to this population increases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan A Adakun
- Department of Medicine, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbara, Uganda.
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Tsai AC. A typology of structural approaches to HIV prevention: a commentary on Roberts and Matthews. Soc Sci Med 2012; 75:1562-7; discussion 1568-71. [PMID: 22877933 PMCID: PMC3443954 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.06.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2012] [Accepted: 06/30/2012] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Renewed enthusiasm for biomedical HIV prevention strategies has followed the recent publication of several high-profile HIV antiretroviral therapy-based HIV prevention trials. In a recent article, Roberts and Matthews (2012) accurately note some of the shortcomings of these individually targeted approaches to HIV prevention and advocate for increased emphasis on structural interventions that have more fundamental effects on the population distribution of HIV. However, they make some implicit assumptions about the extent to which structural interventions are user-independent and more sustainable than biomedical or behavioral interventions. In this article, I elaborate a simple typology of structural interventions along these two axes and suggest that they may be neither user-independent nor sustainable and therefore subject to the same sustainability concerns, costs, and potential unintended consequences as biomedical and behavioral interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander C Tsai
- Center for Global Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, United States.
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Food insecurity, depression and the modifying role of social support among people living with HIV/AIDS in rural Uganda. Soc Sci Med 2012; 74:2012-9. [PMID: 22513248 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.02.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 237] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2011] [Revised: 01/03/2012] [Accepted: 02/17/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Depression is common among people living with HIV/AIDS and contributes to a wide range of worsened HIV-related outcomes, including AIDS-related mortality. Targeting modifiable causes of depression, either through primary or secondary prevention, may reduce suffering as well as improve HIV-related outcomes. Food insecurity is a pervasive source of uncertainty for those living in resource-limited settings, and cross-sectional studies have increasingly recognized it as a critical determinant of poor mental health. Using cohort data from 456 men and women living with HIV/AIDS initiating HIV antiretroviral therapy in rural Uganda, we sought to (a) estimate the association between food insecurity and depression symptom severity, (b) assess the extent to which social support may serve as a buffer against the adverse effects of food insecurity, and (c) determine whether the buffering effects are specific to certain types of social support. Quarterly data were collected by structured interviews and blood draws. The primary outcome was depression symptom severity, measured by a modified Hopkins Symptom Checklist for Depression. The primary explanatory variables were food insecurity, measured with the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale, and social support, measured with a modified version of the Functional Social Support Questionnaire. We found that food insecurity was associated with depression symptom severity among women but not men, and that social support buffered the impacts of food insecurity on depression. We also found that instrumental support had a greater buffering influence than emotional social support. Interventions aimed at improving food security and strengthening instrumental social support may have synergistic beneficial effects on both mental health and HIV outcomes among PLWHA in resource-limited settings.
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Tsai AC, Bangsberg DR, Emenyonu N, Senkungu JK, Martin JN, Weiser SD. The social context of food insecurity among persons living with HIV/AIDS in rural Uganda. Soc Sci Med 2011; 73:1717-24. [PMID: 22019367 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.09.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2011] [Revised: 09/09/2011] [Accepted: 09/25/2011] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
HIV/AIDS and food insecurity are two of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa, with each heightening the vulnerability to, and worsening the severity of, the other. Less research has focused on the social determinants of food insecurity in resource-limited settings, including social support and HIV-related stigma. In this study, we analyzed data from a cohort of 456 persons from the Uganda AIDS Rural Treatment Outcomes study, an ongoing prospective cohort of persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) initiating HIV antiretroviral therapy in Mbarara, Uganda. Quarterly data were collected by structured interviews. The primary outcome, food insecurity, was measured with the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale. Key covariates of interest included social support, internalized HIV-related stigma, HIV-related enacted stigma, and disclosure of HIV serostatus. Severe food insecurity was highly prevalent overall (38%) and more prevalent among women than among men. Social support, HIV disclosure, and internalized HIV-related stigma were associated with food insecurity; these associations persisted after adjusting for household wealth, employment status, and other previously identified correlates of food insecurity. The adverse effects of internalized stigma persisted in a lagged specification, and the beneficial effect of social support further persisted after the inclusion of fixed effects. International organizations have increasingly advocated for addressing food insecurity as part of HIV/AIDS programming to improve morbidity and mortality. This study provides quantitative evidence on social determinants of food insecurity among PLWHA in resource-limited settings and suggests points of intervention. These findings also indicate that structural interventions to improve social support and/or decrease HIV-related stigma may also improve the food security of PLWHA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander C Tsai
- Robert Wood Johnson Health and Society Scholars Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States.
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