In the field of international family planning, quality of care as a reproductive right is widely endorsed, yet we lack validated data‐collection instruments that can accurately assess quality in terms of its public health importance. This study, conducted within 19 public and private facilities in Kisumu, Kenya, used the simulated client method to test the validity of three standard data‐collection instruments used in large‐scale facility surveys: provider interviews, client interviews, and observation of client–provider interactions. Results found low specificity and low positive predictive values in each of the three instruments for a number of quality indicators, suggesting that the quality of care provided may be overestimated by traditional methods of measurement. Revised approaches to measuring family planning service quality may be needed to ensure accurate assessment of programs and to better inform quality‐improvement interventions.
Extraction of natural resources through mining and logging activities provides revenue and employment across sub-Saharan Africa, a region with the highest burden of malaria globally. The extent to which mining and logging influence malaria transmission in Africa remains poorly understood. Here, we evaluate associations between mining, logging, and malaria in the high transmission setting of the Democratic Republic of the Congo using population-representative malaria survey results and geographic data for environmental features and mining and logging concessions. We find elevated malaria prevalence among individuals in rural areas exposed to mining; however, we also detect significant spatial confounding among locations. Upon correction, effect estimates for mining and logging shifted toward the null and we did not find sufficient evidence to detect an association with malaria. Our findings reveal a complex interplay between mining, logging, space, and malaria prevalence. While mining concessions alone may not drive the high prevalence, unobserved features of mining-exposed areas, such as human migration, changing vector populations, or parasite genetics, may instead be responsible.
BACKGROUND: Perinatal depression is a common condition of pregnancy and the postpartum period. Depression negatively affects engagement in HIV care, but systematic screening for perinatal depression is not done in most sub-Saharan African countries. Estimating the burden and timing of perinatal depression can help inform medical programs with the current scale-up of HIV care for pregnant women. METHODS: Women (n=299) initiating antiretroviral therapy for HIV were recruited from a government antenatal clinic in Malawi in 2015-2016 into a cohort study. Probable perinatal depression was assessed at enrollment and at 6 weeks and 3, 6, and 12 months postpartum with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). We estimated point prevalence and incidence of depression as well as concordance between EPDS and PHQ-9 scores. RESULTS: One in ten women screened positive for probable antenatal depression, whereas 1-6% screened positive postpartum. Sensitivity analyses to account for loss to follow-up suggested that postpartum depression prevalence could have ranged from 1-11%. At postpartum time points, 0-3% of participants screened positive for incident probable depression. EPDS and PHQ-9 scores were concordant for 96% of assessments during antenatal and postpartum visits. LIMITATIONS: Lack of diagnostic psychiatric evaluation precludes actual diagnosis of major depression, and social desirability bias may have contributed to low postpartum scores. CONCLUSIONS: Probable depression was more common during the antenatal period than postpartum among our participants. Given the association between depression and negative HIV outcomes, screening for depression during pregnancy should be integrated into antenatal HIV care.
AbstractIntroductionRapid antiretroviral treatment (ART) initiation reduces time from HIV infection to viral suppression, decreasing HIV transmission risk. Mental health symptoms may influence timing of ART initiation. This study estimated the prevalence of ART initiation at enrolment into HIV care and the relationship between mental health and ART initiation at enrolment into HIV care.MethodsWe conducted interviews with 426 individuals initiating HIV care in Cameroon between June 2019 and March 2020 to estimate the association between mental health and timing of ART initiation. Depression (Patient Health Questionnaire‐9; cut‐point 10), anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder‐7; cut‐point 10), post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (PTSD Checklist for DSM‐5; cut‐point 31) and harmful alcohol use (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test; cut‐point 16) were dichotomized to represent those with and without each exposure at first HIV care appointment. Date of ART initiation (date ART prescribed) was ascertained from medical records. Separate multivariable log‐binomial regression models were used to estimate the association between mental health exposures and ART initiation at enrolment into care.Results and discussionOverall, 87% initiated ART at enrolment into HIV care. Approximately 20% reported depressive symptoms, 15% reported PTSD symptoms, 12% reported anxiety symptoms and 13% reported harmful alcohol use. In multivariable analyses, individuals with moderate to severe depressive symptoms had 1.7 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1, 2.7) times the prevalence of not initiating ART at enrolment into HIV care compared to those with no or mild depressive symptoms. Those with symptoms of PTSD, compared to those without, had 1.9 (95% CI 1.2, 2.9) times the prevalence of not initiating ART at enrolment into HIV care. Symptoms of anxiety or harmful drinking were not associated with ART initiation at enrolment into HIV care in multivariable models.ConclusionsSymptoms of depression and PTSD were associated with lower prevalence of ART initiation at enrolment into HIV care among this sample of individuals initiating HIV care in Cameroon under a "treat all" policy. Research should examine barriers to timely ART initiation, whether incorporating mental health services into HIV care improves timely ART initiation, and whether untreated symptoms of depression and PTSD drive suboptimal HIV care outcomes.
OBJECTIVE: To estimate the association of probable antenatal depression with postpartum HIV care engagement among pregnant women in Malawi. DESIGN: We conducted a prospective cohort study of 299 women who were initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART) through Option B+ at a government antenatal clinic in Malawi. METHODS: Probable antenatal depression was assessed on the day of ART initiation with the validated Chichewa version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). We estimated crude and adjusted risk differences (RD, aRD) of visit attendance and prevalence differences (PD, aPD) of viral suppression through 12 months post-ART initiation comparing women with versus without probable antenatal depression. RESULTS: One in ten women had probable antenatal depression. Most women were engaged in care through 12 months post-ART initiation: 85% attended all scheduled ART visits, and 81% were in care and virally suppressed. Women with and without probable antenatal depression had a comparable probability of attending all scheduled visits (RD: −0.02; 95%CI −0.16–0.12; aRD: −0.04; 95%CI −0.18–0.10), and of viral suppression (PD: −0.02; 95%CI −0.17–0.13; aPD: −0.01; 95%CI −0.17–0.15) in crude and adjusted analyses. CONCLUSION: Probable antenatal depression was not associated with engagement in HIV care through 12 months post-ART initiation. In a population with high HIV care engagement, antenatal depression may not impair HIV-related outcomes.
AbstractIntroductionMental health disorders may negatively impact HIV outcomes, such as viral suppression (VS) and antiretroviral (ART) adherence among people with HIV (PWH) with hazardous alcohol use. This study evaluates the longitudinal association between depression, anxiety symptoms, VS and complete ART adherence among ART clients with hazardous alcohol use in Vietnam; and examines alcohol dependence as a modifier in this association.MethodsThis was a secondary data analysis of a trial for hazardous drinking ART clients in Thai Nguyen, Vietnam. From March 2016 to May 2018, 440 ART clients with an Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test‐Concise (AUDIT‐C) score ≥4 for men and ≥3 for women were enrolled. Individuals were randomized to either a combined intervention, a brief intervention or a standard of care. Data on sociodemographics, depression, anxiety symptoms, alcohol use, VS and ART adherence were collected at baseline, three, six, and twelve months. Generalized estimating equation models controlling for intervention exposure were used to estimate time‐lagged associations. Risk ratios were estimated using Poisson regression with robust variance estimation.ResultsThe mean age of participants was 40.2. The majority was male (96.8%), had at least some secondary school education (85.0%) and had a history of injection drug use (80.9%). No overall effect of depression and anxiety symptoms on VS was observed. When stratified by time, increased anxiety symptoms at six months were associated with VS at 12 months (adjusted risk ratio (aRR) = 1.09; 95% CI 1.02 to 1.17). An increase in depression or anxiety symptoms was associated with a decreased probability of complete ART adherence (depression symptoms: aRR = 0.95; 95% CI: 0.91 to 0.99; anxiety symptoms: aRR = 0.93; 85% CI: 0.88 to 0.99). The negative effects of anxiety symptoms on ART adherence were stronger among participants with alcohol dependence, compared to those without.ConclusionsDepression and anxiety symptoms had no overall effect on VS, although they were associated with a lower probability of complete ART adherence. Interventions focusing on mental healthcare for PWH with hazardous alcohol use are needed, and integration of mental healthcare and alcohol reduction should be implemented in HIV primary care settings.
AbstractIntroductionHIV diagnosis is the necessary first step towards HIV care initiation, yet many persons living with HIV (PLWH) remain undiagnosed. Employing multiple HIV testing strategies in tandem could increase HIV detection and promote linkage to care. We aimed to assess an intervention to improve HIV detection within socio‐sexual networks of PLWH in two sexually transmitted infections (STI) clinics in Lilongwe, Malawi.MethodsWe conducted a randomized controlled trial to evaluate an intervention combining acute HIV infection (AHI) screening, contract partner notification and social contact referral versus the Malawian standard of care: serial rapid serological HIV tests and passive partner referral. Enrolment occurred between 2015 and 2019. HIV‐seropositive persons (two positive rapid tests) were randomized to the trial arms and HIV‐seronegative (one negative rapid test) and ‐serodiscordant (one positive test followed by a negative confirmatory test) persons were screened for AHI with HIV RNA testing. Those found to have AHI were offered enrolment into the intervention arm. Our primary outcome of interest was the number of new HIV diagnoses made per index participant within participants' sexual and social networks. We also calculated total persons, sexual partners and PLWH (including those previously diagnosed) referred per index participant.ResultsA total of 1230 HIV‐seropositive persons were randomized to the control arm, and 561 to the intervention arm. Another 12,713 HIV‐seronegative or ‐serodiscordant persons underwent AHI screening, resulting in 136 AHI cases, of whom 94 enrolled into the intervention arm. The intervention increased the number of new HIV diagnoses made per index participant versus the control (ratio: 1.9; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.2 to 3.1). The intervention also increased the numbers of persons (ratio: 2.5; 95% CI: 2.0 to 3.2), sexual partners (ratio: 1.7; 95% CI: 1.4 to 2.0) and PLWH (ratio: 2.3; 95% CI: 1.7 to 3.2) referred per index participant.ConclusionsCombining three distinct HIV testing and referral strategies increased the detection of previously undiagnosed HIV infections within the socio‐sexual networks of PLWH seeking STI care. Combination HIV detection strategies that leverage AHI screening and socio‐sexual contact networks offer a novel and efficacious approach to increasing HIV status awareness.
Abstract Integrating antiretroviral therapy into HIV care dramatically extended the lifespan for people living with HIV. Improving the health span requires understanding aging, HIV, associated comorbid conditions, and concurrent treatments. The 14th annual International Workshop on HIV and Aging on October 26–27, 2023 included podium presentations on: Sarcopenia: Biology, Pathophysiology, Prevention and Treatment; Long-acting ART; Central Nervous System (CNS) complications; Asymptomatic Neurocognitive Impairment (ANI); Mental Health; Loneliness; and Resilience. Presentations highlighted persistent concerns for people living with HIV including sarcopenia and frailty, mental health, loneliness, and cognition. Presenters encouraged prioritizing mental health treatment, reducing social isolation, and research on resiliency.
Researchers increasingly use meta-analysis to synthesize the results of several studies in order to estimate a common effect. When the outcome variable is continuous, standard meta-analytic approaches assume that the primary studies report the sample mean and standard deviation of the outcome. However, when the outcome is skewed, authors sometimes summarize the data by reporting the sample median and one or both of (i) the minimum and maximum values and (ii) the first and third quartiles, but do not report the mean or standard deviation. To include these studies in meta-analysis, several methods have been developed to estimate the sample mean and standard deviation from the reported summary data. A major limitation of these widely used methods is that they assume that the outcome distribution is normal, which is unlikely to be tenable for studies reporting medians. We propose two novel approaches to estimate the sample mean and standard deviation when data are suspected to be non-normal. Our simulation results and empirical assessments show that the proposed methods often perform better than the existing methods when applied to non-normal data. ; anadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) KRS-134297 Fonds de recherche du Quebec -Sante (FRQS) Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) FRQS Masters Training Awards Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship FRQS Postdoctoral Training Fellowship Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre G.R. Caverhill Fellowship from the Faculty of Medicine, McGill University Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary Alberta Health Services through the Calgary Health Trust Hotchkiss Brain Institute Senior Health Scholar award from Alberta Innovates Health Solutions Health Research Council of New Zealand Lundbeck International Tehran University of Medical Sciences M-288 Department of Education, National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems: University of Washington H133N060033 Baylor College of Medicine H133N060003 University of Michigan System H133N060032 National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia 1002160 Safe Work Australia Australian Research Council FT130101444 European Foundation for Study of Diabetes Chinese Diabetes Society Lilly Foundation Asia Diabetes Foundation Liao Wun Yuk Diabetes Memorial Fund United States National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) grant 5F30MH096664 United States Department of Health & Human Services National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA United States Department of Health & Human Services National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA NIH Fogarty International Center (FIC) United States Department of Health & Human Services National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA National Cancer Center United States Department of Health & Human Services National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA NIH National Heart Lung & Blood Institute (NHLBI) NIH Office of Research for Women's Health through the Fogarty Global Health Fellows Program Consortium 1R25TW00934001 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act United States Department of Health & Human Services National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA NIH National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) R24MH071604 / R34 MH072925/ K02 MH65919 / P30 DK50456 / R24 MH56858 / RO1 MH073687 /RO1-MH069666 / R34MH084673 /R24 MH071604 United States Department of Health & Human Services Centers for Disease Control & Prevention - USA R49 CE002093 St Anne's Community Services, Leeds, UK US National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research RO1 HD39415 Federal Ministry of Education & Research (BMBF) 01GY1150 United States Department of Health & Human Services National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA T37 MD001449 / T32 GM07356 Ohio Board of Regents Research and Development Administration Office, University of Macau MYRG2015-00109-FSS Federal Ministry of Education & Research (BMBF) 01 GD 9802/4 ; 01 GD 0101 Federation of German Pension Insurance Institute Federal Ministry of Education & Research (BMBF) Perpetual Trustees Flora and Frank Leith Charitable Trust Jack Brockhoff Foundation Grosvenor Settlement Sunshine Foundation Danks Trust Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) FRN 83518 Scleroderma Society of Canada Scleroderma Society of Ontario Scleroderma Society of Saskatchewan Sclerodermie Quebec Cure Scleroderma Foundation Inova Diagnostics Inc Euroimmun FRQS Canadian Arthritis Network Lady Davis Institute of Medical Research of the Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC FRQS Senior Investigator Award National Strategic Reference Framework European Union (EU) Greek Ministry of Education, Lifelong Learning and Religious Affairs (ARISTEIA-ABREVIATE) 1259 Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan UK National Institute for Health Research under its Programme Grants for Applied Research Programme RP-PG-0606-1142 Canada Research Chair in Neurological Health Services Research AIHS Population Health Investigator Award National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia 1088313 Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development 945-03-047 National Health Research Institutes - Taiwan NHRI-EX97-9706PI Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand 49086 Reitoria de Pesquisa da Universidade de Sao Paulo 09.1.01689.17.7 Banco Santander 10.1.01232.17.9 Pfizer medical faculty of the University of Heidelberg, Germany 121/2000 Research University Grant Scheme from Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia Postgraduate Research Student Support Accounts of the University of Auckland, New Zealand National Program for Centers of Excellence (PRONEX/FAPERGS/CNPq, Brazil) Pfizer US Pharmaceutical Inc. PQ-CNPq-2 301321/2016-7 Belgian Ministry of Public Health and Social Affairs Pfizer Ministry of Health, Italy UK National Health Service Lothian Neuro-Oncology Endowment Fund Universiti Sains Malaysia United States Department of Health & Human Services United States Health Resources & Service Administration (HRSA) R40MC07840 United States Department of Health & Human Services Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality R36 HS018246 United States Department of Health & Human Services National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA NIH National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) TL1 RR024135 University of Melbourne Hunter Medical Research Institute Innovatiefonds Zorgverzekeraars Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMw) Mental Health Program 100.003.005 100.002.021 Academic Medical Center/University of Amsterdam Fund for Innovation and Competitiveness of the Chilean Ministry of Economy, Development and Tourism, through the Millennium Scientific Initiative IS130005 US Department of Veteran Affairs US Department of Veteran Affairs United States Department of Health & Human Services National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA NIH National Heart Lung & Blood Institute (NHLBI) R01 HL079235 American Federation for Ageing Research Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Ischemia Research and Education Foundation
