Dataset Information

HIV stigma trends in the general population during antiretroviral treatment expansion: analysis of 31 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, 2003-2013.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:HIV-related stigma is associated with increased risk-taking behavior, reduced uptake of HIV testing, and decreased adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART). Although ART scale-up may reduce HIV-related stigma, the extent to which levels of stigma in the general population have changed during the era of ART scale-up in sub-Saharan Africa is unknown. METHODS:Social distance and anticipated stigma were operationalized using standard HIV-related stigma questions contained in the Demographic and Health Surveys and AIDS Indicator Surveys of 31 African countries between 2003 and 2013. We fitted multivariable linear regression models with cluster-correlated robust standard errors and country fixed effects, specifying social distance or anticipated stigma as the dependent variable and year as the primary explanatory variable of interest. RESULTS:We estimated a statistically significant negative association between year and desires for social distance (b = -0.020; P < 0.001; 95% confidence interval: -0.026 to -0.015) but a statistically significant positive association between year and anticipated stigma (b = 0.023; P < 0.001; 95% confidence interval: 0.018 to 0.027). In analyses stratified by HIV prevalence above or below the sample median, declines in social distancing over time were more pronounced among countries with a higher HIV prevalence. CONCLUSIONS:Concomitant with ART scale-up in sub-Saharan Africa, anticipated stigma in the general population increased despite a decrease in social distancing toward people living with HIV. Although ART scale-up may help reduce social distancing toward people living with HIV, particularly in high-prevalence countries, other interventions targeting symbolic or instrumental concerns about HIV may be needed.

SUBMITTER: Chan BT

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4942369 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

HIV stigma trends in the general population during antiretroviral treatment expansion: analysis of 31 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, 2003-2013.

Chan Brian T BT Tsai Alexander C AC

Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes (1999) 20160801 5

<h4>Background</h4>HIV-related stigma is associated with increased risk-taking behavior, reduced uptake of HIV testing, and decreased adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART). Although ART scale-up may reduce HIV-related stigma, the extent to which levels of stigma in the general population have changed during the era of ART scale-up in sub-Saharan Africa is unknown.<h4>Methods</h4>Social distance and anticipated stigma were operationalized using standard HIV-related stigma questions contained ...[more]

PMID: 27035888

Similar Datasets

Project description:BACKGROUND:Despite the sharp decline in global under-5 deaths since 1990, uneven progress has been achieved across and within countries. In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for child mortality were met only by a few countries. Valid concerns exist as to whether the region would meet new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for under-5 mortality. We therefore examine further sources of variation by assessing age patterns, trends, and forecasts of mortality rates. METHODS AND FINDINGS:Data came from 106 nationally representative Demographic and Health Surveys (DHSs) with full birth histories from 31 SSA countries from 1990 to 2017 (a total of 524 country-years of data). We assessed the distribution of age at death through the following new demographic analyses. First, we used a direct method and full birth histories to estimate under-5 mortality rates (U5MRs) on a monthly basis. Second, we smoothed raw estimates of death rates by age and time by using a two-dimensional P-Spline approach. Third, a variant of the Lee-Carter (LC) model, designed for populations with limited data, was used to fit and forecast age profiles of mortality. We used mortality estimates from the United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME) to adjust, validate, and minimize the risk of bias in survival, truncation, and recall in mortality estimation. Our mortality model revealed substantive declines of death rates at every age in most countries but with notable differences in the age patterns over time. U5MRs declined from 3.3% (annual rate of reduction [ARR] 0.1%) in Lesotho to 76.4% (ARR 5.2%) in Malawi, and the pace of decline was faster on average (ARR 3.2%) than that observed for infant (IMRs) (ARR 2.7%) and neonatal (NMRs) (ARR 2.0%) mortality rates. We predict that 5 countries (Kenya, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, and Uganda) are on track to achieve the under-5 sustainable development target by 2030 (25 deaths per 1,000 live births), but only Rwanda and Tanzania would meet both the neonatal (12 deaths per 1,000 live births) and under-5 targets simultaneously. Our predicted NMRs and U5MRs were in line with those estimated by the UN IGME by 2030 and 2050 (they overlapped in 27/31 countries for NMRs and 22 for U5MRs) and by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) by 2030 (26/31 and 23/31, respectively). This study has a number of limitations, including poor data quality issues that reflected bias in the report of births and deaths, preventing reliable estimates and predictions from a few countries. CONCLUSIONS:To our knowledge, this study is the first to combine full birth histories and mortality estimates from external reliable sources to model age patterns of under-5 mortality across time in SSA. We demonstrate that countries with a rapid pace of mortality reduction (ARR ? 3.2%) across ages would be more likely to achieve the SDG mortality targets. However, the lower pace of neonatal mortality reduction would prevent most countries from achieving those targets: 2 countries would reach them by 2030, 13 between 2030 and 2050, and 13 after 2050.

Project description:BackgroundDiarrheal diseases are a major cause of child mortality and one of the main causes of medical consultation for children in sub-Saharan countries. This paper attempts to determine the risk factors and neighborhood inequalities of diarrheal morbidity among under-5 children in selected countries in sub-Saharan Africa over the period 1990-2013.DesignData used come from the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) waves conducted in Burkina Faso (1992-93, 1998-99, 2003, and 2010), Mali (1995, 2001, 2016, and 2012), Nigeria (1990, 1999, 2003, 2008, and 2013), and Niger (1992, 1998, 2006, and 2012). Bivariate analysis was performed to assess the association between the dependent variable and each of the independent variables. Multilevel logistic regression modelling was used to determine the fixed and random effects of the risk factors associated with diarrheal morbidity.ResultsThe findings showed that the proportion of diarrheal morbidity among under-5 children varied considerably across the cohorts of birth from 10 to 35%. There were large variations in the proportion of diarrheal morbidity across countries. The proportions of diarrheal morbidity were higher in Niger compared with Burkina Faso, Mali, and Nigeria. The risk factors of diarrheal morbidity varied from one country to another, but the main factors included the child's age, size of the child at birth, the quality of the main floor material, mother's education and her occupation, type of toilet, and place of residence. The analysis shows an increasing trend of diarrheal inequalities according to DHS rounds. In Burkina Faso, the value of the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was 0.04 for 1993 DHS and 0.09 in 2010 DHS; in Mali, the ICC increased from 0.04 in 1995 to 0.16 in 2012; in Nigeria, the ICC increased from 0.13 in 1990 to 0.19 in 2013; and in Niger, the ICC increased from 0.07 in 1992 to 0.11 in 2012.ConclusionsThis suggests the need to fight against diarrheal diseases on both the local and community levels across villages.

Project description:ImportanceTobacco companies have shifted their marketing and production to sub-Saharan African countries, which are in an early stage of the tobacco epidemic.ObjectiveTo estimate changes in the prevalence of current tobacco use and socioeconomic inequalities among male and female participants from 22 sub-Saharan African countries from 2003 to 2019.Design, setting, and participantsSecondary data analyses were conducted of sequential Demographic and Health Surveys in 22 sub-Saharan African countries including male and female participants aged 15 to 49 years. The baseline surveys (2003-2011) and the most recent surveys (2011-2019) were pooled.ExposuresHousehold wealth index and highest educational level were the markers of inequality.Main outcomes and measuresSex-specific absolute and relative changes in age-standardized prevalence of current tobacco use in each country and absolute and relative measures of inequality using pooled data.ResultsThe survey samples included 428 197 individuals (303 232 female participants [70.8%]; mean [SD] age, 28.6 [9.8] years) in the baseline surveys and 493 032 participants (348 490 female participants [70.7%]; mean [SD] age, 28.5 [9.4] years) in the most recent surveys. Both sexes were educated up to primary (35.7%) or secondary school (40.0%). The prevalence of current tobacco use among male participants ranged from 6.1% (95% CI, 5.2%-6.9%) in Ghana to 38.3% (95% CI, 35.8%-40.8%) in Lesotho in the baseline surveys and from 4.5% (95% CI, 3.7%-5.3%) in Ghana to 46.0% (95% CI, 43.2%-48.9%) in Lesotho during the most recent surveys. The decrease in prevalence ranged from 1.5% (Ghana) to 9.6% (Sierra Leone). The World Health Organization target of a 30% decrease in smoking was achieved among male participants in 8 countries: Rwanda, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Benin, Liberia, Tanzania, Burundi, and Cameroon. For female participants, the number of countries having a prevalence of smoking less than 1% increased from 9 in baseline surveys to 16 in the most recent surveys. The World Health Organization target of a 30% decrease in smoking was achieved among female participants in 15 countries: Cameroon, Namibia, Mozambique, Mali, Liberia, Nigeria, Burundi, Tanzania, Malawi, Kenya, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, and Zambia. For both sexes, the prevalence of tobacco use and the decrease in prevalence of tobacco use were higher among less-educated individuals and individuals with low income. In both groups, the magnitude of inequalities consistently decreased, and its direction remained the same. Absolute inequalities were 3-fold higher among male participants, while relative inequalities were nearly 2-fold higher among female participants.Conclusions and relevanceContrary to a projected increase, tobacco use decreased in most sub-Saharan African countries. Persisting socioeconomic inequalities warrant the stricter implementation of tobacco control measures to reach less-educated individuals and individuals with low income.

Project description:BackgroundHIV-infected persons are at increased risk of opportunistic infections, including invasive nontyphoidal Salmonella (iNTS) infections; antiretroviral therapy (ART) reduces this risk. We explored changing iNTS incidence associated with increasing ART availability in South Africa.MethodsLaboratory-based surveillance for iNTS was conducted in Gauteng Province, South Africa, with verification using the National Health Laboratory Service's Central Data Warehouse (CDW), between 2003 and 2013. Isolates were serotyped at the Centre for Enteric Diseases. CDW data on patient numbers obtaining HIV viral load measurements provided estimates of numbers of HIV-infected patients receiving ART. A Poisson regression model was used to measure the changing incidence of iNTS infection from 2003 to 2013. The correlation between the incidence of iNTS and ART use from 2004 to 2013 was determined using Pearson's correlation coefficient.ResultsFrom 2003-2013, the incidence of iNTS per 100,000 population per year decreased from 5.0 to 2.2 (p < .001). From 2004 to 2013, the incidence per 100,000 population of HIV viral load testing increased from 75.2 to 3,620.3 (p < .001). The most common serotypes causing invasive disease were Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (Salmonella Typhimurium), and Salmonella Enteritidis: 2,469 (55.4%) and 1,156 (25.9%) of 4,459 isolates serotyped, respectively. A strong negative correlation was observed between decreasing iNTS incidence and increasing ART use from 2004 to 2013 (r = -0.94, p < .001). Similarly, decreasing incidence of invasive Salmonella Typhimurium infection correlated with increasing ART use (r = -0.93, p < .001). Incidence of invasive Salmonella Enteritidis infection increased, however (r = 0.95, p < .001). Between 2003 and 2004, fewer adult men than women presented with iNTS (male-to-female rate ratio 0.73 and 0.89, respectively). This was reversed from 2005 through 2013 (ranging from 1.07 in 2005 to 1.44 in 2013). Adult men accessed ART less (male-to-female rate ratio ranging from 0.61 [2004] to 0.67 [2013]).ConclusionsThe incidence of iNTS infections including Salmonella Typhimurium decreased significantly in Gauteng Province in association with increased ART utilization. Adult men accessed ART programs less than women, translating into increasing iNTS incidence in this group. Monitoring iNTS incidence may assist in monitoring the ART program. Increasing incidence of invasive Salmonella Enteritidis infections needs further elucidation.

Dataset Information

HIV stigma trends in the general population during antiretroviral treatment expansion: analysis of 31 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, 2003-2013.

Publications

HIV stigma trends in the general population during antiretroviral treatment expansion: analysis of 31 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, 2003-2013.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets