Design of a randomized controlled trial to Link Infectious and Narcology Care (LINC-II) in St. Petersburg, Russia

Effectiveness of a smartphone app (Drink Less) versus usual digital care for reducing alcohol consumption among increasing-and-higher-risk adult drinkers in the UK: a two-arm, parallel-group, double-blind, randomised controlled trial

Background

Digital interventions, including apps and websites, can be effective for reducing alcohol consumption. However, many are not evidence- or theory-informed and have not been evaluated. We tested the effectiveness of the Drink Less app for reducing alcohol consumption compared with usual digital care in the UK.

Methods

In this two-arm, parallel group, double-blind, randomised controlled trial, we enrolled increasing-and-higher-risk drinkers (AUDIT ≥ 8) in the UK, who were motivated to reduce their alcohol consumption and willing to use a digital intervention to do so, via online methods. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1), using an online algorithm, to receive a web link to download the Drink Less app (intervention) or to the NHS alcohol advice webpage (usual digital care). Researchers were masked to group allocation. Participants were followed up at one, three and six months. The primary outcome was self-reported weekly alcohol consumption at six months, adjusting for baseline consumption. The full analytic sample was used in most analyses, though missing data was treated in different ways. The primary, pre-registered intention-to-treat analysis assumed baseline-carried-forwards. Secondary pre-registered analyses also focused on the full analytic sample and used alternatives including multiple imputation and last observation carried forwards. This trial is registered with the ISRCTN registry, ISRCTN64052601.

Findings

Between 07/13/2020 and 03/29/2022, 5602 people were randomly assigned to the Drink Less app (n = 2788) or comparator (n = 2814) groups. Six-month follow-up rates were 79% and 80%, respectively. The primary pre-registered conservative intention-to-treat approach assuming non-responders were drinking at baseline levels of consumption, found a non-significant greater reduction of 0.98 units in weekly alcohol consumption in the intervention group at 6-month follow-up (95% CI -2.67 to 0.70). The data were insensitive to detect the hypothesised effect (Bayes factor = 1.17). Data were not missing completely at random, with 6-month follow-up rates differing in terms of education, occupation, and income. We therefore conducted the pre-registered sensitivity analysis using multiple imputation, showing that the Drink Less app resulted in a 2.00-unit greater weekly reduction at 6-month follow-up compared with the NHS alcohol advice webpage (95% CI -3.76 to -0.24). Fewer than 0.1% of participants in both arms who responded to one, three or six-month follow-up reported adverse events linked to participation in the trial.

Interpretation

The Drink Less app may be effective in reducing the alcohol consumption in increasing-and-higher-risk drinkers motivated to reduce their consumption.

Funding

NIHR Public Health Research Programme.

Comparative costs and potential affordability of a multifaceted intervention to improve treatment outcomes among people with HIV who inject drugs in Russia: economic evaluation of the LINC-II randomized controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

The LINC-II randomized controlled trial in St. Petersburg, Russia for HIV-positive adults who inject drugs found that a multi-component intervention including initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) during admission to an addiction hospital, strengths-based case management and naltrexone significantly increased 12-month HIV viral suppression and ART retention. We conducted a comparative cost analysis to determine if the 12-month cost of the intervention is affordable within the current Russian health system.

METHODS

We used LINC-II trial records and questionnaire responses to calculate the resources utilized by each participant in the study, including inpatient days, medications, laboratory tests, outpatient consultations, case manager interactions and opioid medication treatment. Quantities of resources utilized were multiplied by unit costs for each resource estimated from the service fee or price lists used by the study facilities for each specific service delivered. We report the average cost/study primary (viral suppression at 12 months) or secondary (retention in care at 12 months) outcome/participant in 2021 USD and compare costs between study arms.

RESULTS

The trial enrolled 225 participants (111 intervention, 114 control) between September 2018 and December 2020. Viral suppression, non-suppression and missing suppression results were 28% and 14%, 49% and 37%, and 31% and 41% for the control and intervention arms, respectively. Retention results were 35% and 51% for the control and intervention arms, respectively. The average cost per study participant was $2714 in the control arm and $4342 in the intervention arm. The average cost per participant virally suppressed at 12 months was $3662 (control) and $6355 (intervention). The average cost per participant retained at 12 months was $4050 (control) and $5448 (intervention). For those retained, the cost difference between the arms was comprised of opioid treatment (35%), case management (31%), outpatient visits (18%) and additional days of ART (12%).

CONCLUSIONS

The LINC-II intervention increased the cost of care for HIV-positive people who inject drugs in Russia significantly, but some components of the intervention, particularly earlier initiation of ART and case management, may be justifiable due to their success in reaching a challenging subgroup of the population in need.

CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER

NCT03290391.

Stigma and other correlates of sharing injection equipment among people with HIV in St. Petersburg, Russia

Stigma that people with HIV who inject drugs experience negatively impacts HIV and substance use care, but stigma's association with sharing injection equipment is not known. This is a cross-sectional analysis of data from two studies of people with HIV reporting drug injection (N = 319) in St. Petersburg, Russia (September 2018-December 2020). We used logistic regression to examine associations between HIV stigma and substance use stigma scores (categorised into quartiles) and past 30-day equipment sharing, adjusting for demographic and clinical characteristics. Secondary analyses examined associations of arrest history and social support with sharing equipment. Almost half (48.6%) of participants reported sharing injection equipment. Among groups who did and did not share, mean HIV stigma (2.3 vs 2.2) and substance use stigma (32 vs 31) scores were similar. Adjusted analyses detected no significant associations between HIV stigma quartiles (global p-value = 0.85) or substance use stigma quartiles (global p-value = 0.51) and sharing equipment. Neither arrest history nor social support were significantly associated with sharing equipment. In this cohort, sharing injection equipment was common and did not vary based on stigma, arrest history, or social support. To reduce equipment sharing, investments in sterile injection equipment access in Russia should be prioritised over interventions to address stigma.

An Updated Narrative Review on the Role of Alcohol Among Indigenous Communities

Purpose of Review

The role of alcohol varies considerably among Indigenous Peoples and is the backdrop of persistent stereotypes despite decades of research. This paper provides an updated narrative review on the alcohol literature among Indigenous communities, highlighting recent studies published since 2017.

Recent Findings

We examined published literature involving alcohol use rates, including abstinence; risk and protective factors; treatment; and recovery, as well as future directions for alcohol prevention and intervention efforts with Indigenous communities.

Summary

Evidence-based alcohol use prevention, intervention, and recovery strategies with Indigenous communities are outlined. Recommendations are provided for researchers, health providers, and public policy advocates to address and better understand alcohol use, treatment, prevention, and recovery among Indigenous Peoples. Specific recommendations include using community-based participatory research strategies and harm reduction approaches to prevent and treat alcohol use problems with Indigenous communities. Future research is needed to elucidate mechanisms of resilience and recovery from Alcohol Use Disorder and possible shifts in perceptions of alcohol use for Indigenous Peoples.

Provider-patient experiences and HIV care utilization among people living with HIV who inject drugs in St. Petersburg, Russia

Providers' disrespect and abuse of patients is a recognized but understudied issue affecting quality of care and likely affecting healthcare utilization. Little research has examined this issue among people living with HIV (PWH) who inject drugs, despite high stigmatization of this population. No research has examined this issue in the context of Russia. This study assesses patients' reports of disrespect and abuse from providers as a barrier to healthcare and examines the association between these reports and HIV care outcomes.We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of the associations between disrespect/abuse from health providers as a barrier to care and the following HIV care outcomes: (i) anti-retroviral treatment (ART) uptake ever, (ii) past 6-month visit to HIV provider, and (iii) CD4 count. Participants (N = 221) were people living with HIV who injected drugs and were not on ART at enrollment.Two in five participants (42%) reported a history disrespect/abuse from a healthcare provider that they cited as a barrier to care. Those reporting this concern had lower odds of ever use of ART (adjusted odds ratio 0.46 [95% CI 0.22, 0.95]); we found no significant associations for the other HIV outcomes. We additionally found higher representation of women among those reporting prevalence of disrespect/abuse from provider as a barrier to care compared to those not reporting this barrier (58.1% versus 27.3%).Almost half of this sample of PWH who inject drugs report disrespect/abuse from a provider as a barrier to healthcare, and this is associated with lower odds of receipt of ART but not with other HIV outcomes studied. There is need for improved focus on quality of respectful and dignified care from providers for PWH who inject drugs, and such focus may improve ART uptake in Russia.

Rapid access to antiretroviral therapy, receipt of naltrexone, and strengths-based case management versus standard of care for HIV viral load suppression in people with HIV who inject drugs in Russia (LINC-II): an open-label, randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) coverage in Russia is low for people with HIV who inject drugs. HIV and addiction treatment in Russia are not well integrated. We aimed to evaluate an intervention to link people with HIV in addiction treatment to HIV care to achieve HIV viral load suppression.

METHODS

LINC-II was a two-arm, open-label, randomised controlled trial at the City Addiction Hospital, Saint Petersburg, Russia. Eligible participants were aged 18 years or older, had a positive HIV status, were not currently on ART, were admitted to a narcology hospital, and had a current diagnosis of opioid use disorder. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to a multicomponent intervention (ie, rapid access to ART, naltrexone for opioid use disorder, and strengths-based case management) or standard of care. Blocked randomisation was stratified by history of ART use. The primary outcome was undetectable HIV viral load at 12 months, defined as less than 40 copies per mL. The trial was conducted and analysed according to the intention-to-treat principle. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03290391.

FINDINGS

Between Sept 19, 2018, and Dec 25, 2020, 953 individuals were screened for eligibility, 225 of whom were randomly assigned to the intervention (n=111) or standard of care (n=114). 136 (60%) participants were male and 89 (40%) were female. Participants in the intervention group had higher odds of HIV viral load suppression at 12 months compared with participants in the standard-of-care group (52 [47%] vs 26 [23%]; adjusted odds ratio 3·0 [95% CI 1·4-6·4]; p=0·0039). 21 adverse events (18 in the intervention group and three in the standard-of-care group)and 14 deaths (four in the intervention group and ten in the standard-of-care group) were reported in the study.

INTERPRETATION

Given the effectiveness of the LINC-II intervention, scaling up this model could be one strategy to advance the UNAIDS goal of ending the HIV epidemic.

FUNDING

National Institute on Drug Abuse and Providence/Boston Center for AIDS Research.

The Intention of Waterpipe Tobacco Smoking by Women in the COVID-19 Pandemic and its Contributing Factors: a Nonparametric Path Analysis

Background

People with waterpipe tobacco smoking (WTS) seem to be more at risk for the serious complications of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study aimed at assessing the behavioral intention (BI) of WTS by women in the COVID-19 pandemic and its contributing factors.

Methods

This cross-sectional descriptive-correlational study was conducted in 2020 (ie, during the COVID-19 pandemic). Participants were 300 women randomly selected through multistage sampling from comprehensive healthcare centers in Khorramabad, Iran. Data collection instrument was a 42-item questionnaire with 4 main subscales, namely knowledge, attitude, differential association, and BI. Data were collected through both online and phone-based methods and were analyzed using non-parametirc path analysis.

Results

The prevalence of WTS among women was 13% (95% CI, 11.06-14.94) and the mean scores of attitude, differential association, and behavioral intention among participants with WTS were significantly higher than participants without WTS (P < 0.001). Moreover, 46.12% (95% CI, 38.12-54.08) of participants with WTS reported intention to quit WTS due to the COVID-19 pandemic and 43.6% (95% CI, 35.66-51.54) of women with WTS and 16.5% (95% CI, 14.20-18.80) of women without WTS believed in the protective effects of WTS against COVID-19. The path analysis model showed that the BI of WTS had a significant inverse relationship with knowledge and a significant direct relationship with attitude and differential association.

Conclusion

This study suggests the need for quality educational and counseling interventions for the general public to correct popular misconceptions about the protective effects of WTS against COVID-19.

Incarceration history, antiretroviral therapy, and stigma: A cross-sectional study of people with HIV who inject drugs in St. Petersburg, Russia

BACKGROUND

The HIV epidemic is intertwined with substance use and incarceration in Russia. The relationships between incarceration history, HIV treatment history, and stigma experiences among people with HIV (PWH) who inject drugs in Russia have not been well described.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional study of a cohort of PWH with opioid use disorder who inject drugs (n=201) recruited at a narcology (substance use treatment) hospital in St. Petersburg, Russia from September 2018 to December 2020. The primary analysis evaluated the association between self-reported prior incarceration and prior antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation using multivariable logistic regression to adjust for demographic, social, and clinical covariates. We used multivariable linear regression models to analyze associations between prior incarceration and two secondary outcomes: HIV stigma score (11-item abbreviated Berger scale) and substance use stigma score (21-item combination of Substance Abuse Self-Stigma Scale and Stigma-related Rejection Scale).

RESULTS

Mean age was 37 (SD 5) years; 58.7% were male. Participants had been living with HIV for a mean of 13 (SD 6) years. Over two thirds (69.2%) of participants reported prior incarceration. One third (35.3%) of participants reported prior ART initiation. Prior incarceration was not significantly associated with prior ART initiation (AOR 1.76; 95% CI: 0.81, 3.83). Prior incarceration was associated with a lower HIV stigma score (adjusted mean difference in z-score: -0.50; 95%CI: -0.81, -0.19) but was not significantly associated with substance use stigma score (adjusted mean difference in z-score: -0.10; 95%CI: -0.42, 0.21).

CONCLUSION

Prior incarceration was common, and rates of prior ART initiation were low even though most participants had been living with HIV for at least a decade. We did not find an association between prior incarceration and prior ART initiation, which suggests a need to explore whether opportunities to initiate ART during or after incarceration are missed.

CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER

NCT03290391.

Suicidal behaviours (ideation, plan and attempt) among school-going adolescents: A study of prevalence, predisposing, and protective factors in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Suicide occurs throughout life and is among the leading causes of death among adolescents globally. Aside from the growing literature on this serious mental health issue, little is known about the prevalence of suicide and the variables that predispose and protect adolescents against it in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. We analysed the Global School-based Student Health Survey data collection among school-going adolescents in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to explore the prevalence, risk and protective variables associated with suicidal behaviours. We observed prevalence rates of 26%, 26%, and 19% for suicide ideation, plan, and attempt, respectively. Furthermore, sex (being male) and having parents or guardians who understand the problems and worries of adolescents served as protective factors against all three suicide behaviours. However, we observed truancy, cigarette smoking, bullying victims (on/off school property), being cyberbullied, loneliness, and worry as risk factors for suicide ideation among adolescents. Risk for suicide plan was predicted by truancy, cigarette smoking, physical fight, bullying victims (on/off school property), being cyberbullied, loneliness, and worry. After controlling for other factors, truancy, amphetamine or methamphetamine use, cigarette smoking, physical fight, bullying victims (on/off school property), serious injury, close friends, loneliness, and worrying about life issues predicted suicide attempt risk among adolescents in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Early identification and suicide prevention interventions focusing on identified protective and risk factors may help minimise the prevalence of suicide behaviours among school-going adolescents in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Impulsivity and linkage to HIV Care among People living with HIV in St. Petersburg, Russia

This study evaluated the association between impulsivity and linkage to HIV care among Russians living with HIV recruited from an inpatient narcology hospital. Linking Infectious and Narcology Care (LINC) study participants who completed the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS) were included in these analyses. The primary independent variable was impulsivity score which was categorized as high impulsivity (BIS score > 71) vs. low impulsivity (BIS score < = 71). The primary outcome, linkage to care post recruitment, was defined as one or more HIV medical care visits at 12-month follow-up. Multiple logistic regression models were used to evaluate the association between high impulsivity and linkage to HIV care controlling for potential confounders. Participants (N = 227) were adults with a mean age of 34 years (SD = 5), and the majority were male (74%). We did not detect a significant association between impulsivity and linkage to HIV care after adjusting for respondents' age, gender, CD4 cell count, and depression score. We also found that substance use and hazardous drinking did not appear to confound the relationship. Although our study was unable to detect an association between impulsivity and linkage to HIV care, it may provide direction for future research exploring the associations between impulsivity and HIV care.

For whom the bell tolls: psychopathological and neurobiological correlates of a DNA methylation index of time-to-death

Psychopathology is a risk factor for accelerated biological aging and early mortality. We examined associations between broad underlying dimensions of psychopathology (reflecting internalizing and externalizing psychiatric symptoms), PTSD, and age-adjusted GrimAge ("GrimAge residuals"), a DNA methylation biomarker of mortality risk relative to age. We also examined neurobiological correlates of GrimAge residuals, including neurocognitive functioning, blood-based biomarkers (of inflammation, neuropathology, metabolic disease), and cortical thickness. Data from two independent trauma-exposed military cohorts (n = 647 [62.9% male, Mage = 52], n = 434 [90% male, Mage = 32]) were evaluated using linear regression models to test associations between GrimAge residuals, psychopathology, and health correlates. Externalizing psychopathology significantly predicted GrimAge residuals in both cohorts (ps < 0.028). PTSD predicted GrimAge residuals in the younger (p = 0.001) but not the older cohort. GrimAge residuals were associated with several neurobiological variables available in the younger cohort, including cognitive disinhibition (padj = 0.021), poorer memory recall (padj = 0.023), cardiometabolic pathology (padj < 0.001), oxidative stress (padj = 0.003), astrocyte damage (padj = 0.021), inflammation (C-reactive protein: padj < 0.001; IL-6: padj < 0.001), and immune functioning (padj < 0.001). A subset of inflammatory and neuropathology analytes were available in the older cohort and showed associations with GrimAge residuals (IL-6: padj < 0.001; TNF-α: padj < 0.001). GrimAge residuals were also associated with reduced cortical thickness in right lateral orbitofrontal cortex (padj = 0.018) and left fusiform gyrus (padj = 0.030), which are related to emotion regulation and facial recognition, respectively. Psychopathology may be a common risk factor for elevated mortality risk. GrimAge could help identify those at risk for adverse health outcomes and allow for early disease identification and treatment.