The United States National Cancer Institute's Coordinated Research Effort on Tobacco Use as a Major Cause of Morbidity and Mortality among People with HIV

Smoking behavior detection algorithm based on YOLOv8-MNC

Introduction

The detection of smoking behavior is an emerging field faced with challenges in identifying small, frequently occluded objects like cigarette butts using existing deep learning technologies. Such challenges have led to unsatisfactory detection accuracy and poor model robustness.

Methods

To overcome these issues, this paper introduces a novel smoking detection algorithm, YOLOv8-MNC, which builds on the YOLOv8 network and includes a specialized layer for small target detection. The YOLOv8-MNC algorithm employs three key strategies: (1) It utilizes NWD Loss to mitigate the effects of minor deviations in object positions on IoU, thereby enhancing training accuracy; (2) It incorporates the Multi-head Self-Attention Mechanism (MHSA) to bolster the network's global feature learning capacity; and (3) It implements the lightweight general up-sampling operator CARAFE, in place of conventional nearest-neighbor interpolation up-sampling modules, minimizing feature information loss during the up-sampling process.

Results

Experimental results from a customized smoking behavior dataset demonstrate significant improvement in detection accuracy. The YOLOv8-MNC model achieved a detection accuracy of 85.887%, signifying a remarkable increase of 5.7% in the mean Average Precision (mAP@0.5) when compared to the previous algorithm.

Discussion

The YOLOv8-MNC algorithm represents a valuable step forward in resolving existing problems in smoking behavior detection. Its enhanced performance in both detection accuracy and robustness indicates potential applicability in related fields, thus illustrating a meaningful advancement in the sphere of smoking behavior detection. Future efforts will focus on refining this technique and exploring its application in broader contexts.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Stress, Isolation, Smoking Behaviors, and Motivation to Quit in People with HIV Who Smoke

People with HIV (PWH) smoke at higher rates compared with the general population and have lower cessation rates. The primary aim of this study was to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on smoking in PWH. A survey was administered to participants in two smoking cessation trials in the United States. Mean cigarettes per day was 13.9 (SD 8.6), and participants reported they had smoked on average for 30.93 years (SD 10.4). More than half (55.7%) of participants (N = 140) reported not changing their smoking during the pandemic, while 15% reported decreasing, and 25% reported increasing their smoking. In bivariate analyses, worrying about food due to lack of money (χ2 = 9.13, df 2, p = 0.01) and greater Covid-related worry (rs = 0.19, p = 0.02) were significantly associated with increased smoking. Qualitative research may be needed to more clearly elucidate factors related to smoking behaviors among PWH.

Estimating the changing disease burden attributable to smoking in South Africa for 2000, 2006 and 2012

Background. Ongoing quantification of the disease burden attributable to smoking is important to monitor and strengthen tobacco control policies.Objectives. To estimate the attributable burden due to smoking in South Africa for 2000, 2006 and 2012.Methods. We estimated attributable burden due to smoking for selected causes of death in South African (SA) adults aged ≥35 years for 2000, 2006 and 2012. We combined smoking prevalence results from 15 national surveys (1998 - 2017) and smoking impact ratios using national mortality rates. Relative risks between smoking and select causes of death were derived from local and international data. Results. Smoking prevalence declined from 25.0% in 1998 (40.5% in males, 10.9% in females) to 19.4% in 2012 (31.9% in males, 7.9% in females), but plateaued after 2010. In 2012 tobacco smoking caused an estimated 31 078 deaths (23 444 in males and 7 634 in females), accounting for 6.9% of total deaths of all ages (17.3% of deaths in adults aged ≥35 years), a 10.5% decline overall since 2000 (7% in males; 18% in females). Age-standardised mortality rates (and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs)) similarly declined in all population groups but remained high in the coloured population. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease accounted for most tobacco-attributed deaths (6 373), followed by lung cancer (4 923), ischaemic heart disease (4 216), tuberculosis (2 326) and lower respiratory infections (1 950). The distribution of major causes of smoking-attributable deaths shows a middle- to high-income pattern in whites and Asians, and a middle- to low-income pattern in coloureds and black Africans. The role of infectious lung disease (TB and LRIs) has been underappreciated. These diseases comprised 21.0% of deaths among black Africans compared with only 4.3% among whites. It is concerning that smoking rates have plateaued since 2010. Conclusion. The gains achieved in reducing smoking prevalence in SA have been eroded since 2010. An increase in excise taxes is the most effective measure for reducing smoking prevalence. The advent of serious respiratory pandemics such as COVID-19 has increased the urgency of considering the role that smoking cessation/abstinence can play in the prevention of, and post-hospital recovery from, any condition.

Tobacco Use and Treatment of Tobacco Dependence Among People With Human Immunodeficiency Virus: A Practical Guide for Clinicians

More than 40% of people with human immunodeficiency virus (PWH) in the United States smoke tobacco cigarettes. Among those on antiretroviral therapy, smoking decreases life expectancy more than human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) itself. Most PWH who smoke want to quit, but tobacco dependence treatment has not been widely integrated into HIV care. This article summarizes the epidemiology of tobacco use among PWH, health consequences of tobacco use and benefits of cessation in PWH, and studies of treatment for tobacco dependence among the general population and among PWH. We provide practical guidance for providers to treat tobacco dependence among PWH. A 3-step Ask-Advise-Connect framework includes asking about tobacco use routinely during clinical encounters, advising about tobacco cessation with emphasis on the benefits of cessation, and actively connecting patients to cessation treatments, including prescription of pharmacotherapy (preferably varenicline) and direct connection to behavioral interventions via telephone quitline or other means to increase the likelihood of a successful quit attempt.

Practices, attitudes, and confidence related to tobacco treatment interventions in HIV clinics: a multisite cross-sectional survey

Tobacco use disorder (TUD) is a major threat to health among people with HIV (PWH), but it is often untreated. Among HIV clinicians and staff, we sought to characterize practices, attitudes, and confidence addressing TUD among PWH to identify potential opportunities to enhance provision of care. Cross-sectional deidentified, web-based surveys were administered from November 4, 2020 through December 15, 2020 in HIV clinics in three health systems in the United States Northeast. Surveys assessed provider characteristics and experience, reported practices addressing tobacco use, and knowledge and attitudes regarding medications for TUD. Chi-square tests or Fisher's exact tests were used to examine differences in responses between clinicians and staff who were prescribers versus nonprescribers and to examine factors associated with frequency of prescribing TUD medications. Among 118 survey respondents (56% prescribers), only 50% reported receiving prior training on brief smoking cessation interventions. Examining reported practices identified gaps in the delivery of TUD care, including counseling patients on the impact of smoking on HIV, knowledge of clinical practice guidelines, and implementation of assessment and brief interventions for smoking. Among prescribers, first-line medications for TUD were infrequently prescribed and concerns about medication side effects and interaction with antiretroviral treatments were associated with low frequency of prescribing. HIV clinicians and staff reported addressable gaps in their knowledge, understanding, and practices related to tobacco treatment. Additional work is needed to identify ways to ensure adequate training for providers to enhance the delivery of TUD treatment in HIV clinic settings.

Tobacco Use among HIV-Positive and HIV-Negative Women and Men in Zambia-Demographic and Health Survey, 2018

Country-specific estimates of tobacco use among people living with HIV (PLWH) are lacking for much of sub-Saharan Africa. We aim to evaluate the association between the HIV status and tobacco product use status, frequency, and intensity, using nationally representative data from Zambia. We analyzed data from the 2018 Demographic and Health Survey conducted in Zambia among women aged 15–49 years and men aged 15–59 years. We performed logistic regression to assess the associations of HIV status, selected sociodemographic, and other characteristics with indicators of tobacco use (i.e., status, frequency, and intensity). Among women, 14.3% tested positive for HIV and 2.7% reported current smoking or tobacco use; women living with HIV were more likely to report currently smoking or using tobacco than women living without HIV (4.4% vs. 2.4%; aPR: 1.46). Among men, 8.4% tested positive for HIV and 19.5% reported current smoking; men living with HIV were more likely than men living without HIV to report current smoking (27.8% vs. 18.7%; aPR: 1.22). Several sociodemographic characteristics were associated with tobacco use, including age, residence (urban/rural), education level, employment status, and wealth index. The frequency and intensity of smoking among men who currently smoked did not differ by HIV status. Tobacco use was more likely in PLWH than those without HIV in Zambia. Our findings highlight the need to encourage and support tobacco cessation among PLWH, possibly by offering cessation services at existing intersections with health care or integrating cessation support into mHealth and other alternative models of care.

Design and methods of a randomized trial testing the novel Wellness Intervention for Smokers Living with HIV (WISH)

Smoking rates are disproportionately high among people living with HIV. Smokers living with HIV (SLWH) are also largely unaware of the HIV-specific deleterious effects of smoking and often lack motivation and confidence in their ability to quit tobacco. To address these issues, we developed the Wellness Intervention for Smokers Living with HIV (WISH). WISH is grounded in the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills (IMB) Model and is designed for all SLWH, regardless of their initial motivation to quit. It follows evidence-based, best practice guidelines for nicotine dependence treatment, but is innovative in its use of a comprehensive wellness approach that addresses smoking within the context of HIV self-management including treatment adherence and engagement, stress management, substance use, and other personally relevant health behavior goals. The described randomized trial will enroll SLWH who are receiving care at Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers and compare WISH's impact on smoking behavior to standard care services offered through the National VA Quitline and SmokefreeVET texting program. It will also assess intervention impact on markers of immune status and mortality risk. If effective, WISH could be disseminated to Veterans nationwide and could serve as a model for designing quitline interventions for other smokers who are ambivalent about quitting. The current paper outlines the rationale and methodology of the WISH trial, one of a series of studies recently funded by the National Cancer Institute to advance understanding of how to better promote smoking cessation among SLWH.

Rationale and design of a randomized factorial clinical trial of pharmacogenetic and adherence optimization strategies to promote tobacco cessation among persons with HIV

BACKGROUND

Tobacco use is approximately three times more common in people living with HIV (PLWH) than the general population. Moreover, current behavioral and pharmacological smoking cessation interventions are less effective for PLWH, highlighting a need for novel ways to optimize tobacco cessation treatments in this group. Prior research indicates that personalized treatment based on the nicotine metabolite ratio (NMR), a biomarker of nicotine metabolism, and augmenting smoking cessation medication adherence may improve cessation treatment for PLWH.

METHODS

In this 2 × 2 factorial design trial, 488 smokers with HIV receive 12 weeks of smoking cessation medication along with randomization to 1) tailor the smoking cessation drug to their metabolism or not, and 2) provide additional counseling on smoking cessation medication adherence or not. Those randomized to the pharmacogenetic optimization arm receive varenicline or the nicotine patch based on their NMR (varenicline for fast metabolizers and the nicotine patch for slow metabolizers) and those in the control arm receive varenicline. Those randomized to the experimental adherence counseling arm receive Managed Problem Solving (MAPS) targeting their smoking cessation medication and those in the control arm receive standard counseling.

CONCLUSION

PLWH on suppressive antiretroviral therapy who smoke lose more life-years due to tobacco use than to their HIV infection, and have lower response rates to current evidence-based treatments for smoking cessation. Both the NMR tailoring and MAPS interventions have the potential to optimize treatments for tobacco use among this population. If effective, this trial may demonstrate ways to further improve long-term health outcomes for PLWH.