Alcohol use and its association with HIV risk behaviors among a cohort of patients attending HIV clinical care in Tanzania, Kenya, and Namibia

Details

• Alternative Title:
  AIDS Care
• Personal Author:
  Medley, Amy ; Seth, Puja ; Pathak, Sonal ; Howard, Andrea A. ; DeLuca, Nickolas ; Matiko, Eva ; Mwinyi, Abubakari ; Katuta, Frieda ; Sheriff, Mushin ; Makyao, Neema ; Wanjiku, Lucy ; Ngare, Carol ; Bachanas, Pamela
• Description:
  This article describes the frequency of alcohol use among HIV-positive patients attending clinical care in sub-Saharan Africa and explores the association between alcohol use, medication adherence, and sexual risk behavior. Data from 3538 patients attending an HIV clinic in Kenya, Tanzania, or Namibia were captured through interview and medical record abstraction. Participants were categorized into three drinking categories: nondrinkers, nonharmful drinkers, and harmful/likely dependent drinkers. A proportional odds model was used to identify correlates associated with categories of alcohol use. Overall, 20% of participants reported alcohol use in the past 6 months; 15% were categorized as nonharmful drinkers and 5% as harmful/likely dependent drinkers. Participants who reported missing a dose of their HIV medications [adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 2.04, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.67, 2.49]; inconsistent condom use (AOR: 1.49, 95% CI: 1.23, 1.79); exchanging sex for food, money, gifts, or a place to stay (AOR: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.06, 2.32); and having a sexually transmitted infection symptom (AOR: 1.40, 95% CI: 1.10, 1.77) were more likely to be categorized in the higher risk drinking categories. This research highlights the need to integrate alcohol screening and counseling into the adherence and risk reduction counseling offered to HIV-positive patients as part of their routine care. Moreover, given the numerous intersections between alcohol and HIV, policies that focus on reducing alcohol consumption and alcohol-related risk behavior should be integrated into HIV prevention, care, and treatment strategies.
• Subjects:
  Adult Alcohol Drinking Alcoholism Binge Drinking Condoms Female HIV Infections Humans Male Marital Status Medication Adherence Proportional Hazards Models Risk-Taking Sex Factors Sexual Partners Socioeconomic Factors

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• Source:
  AIDS Care. 26(10):1288-1297.
• Pubmed ID:
  24773163
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC4664067
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Funding:
  CC999999/Intramural CDC HHS/United States
• Place as Subject:
  Kenya ; Namibia ; Tanzania
• Volume:
  26
• Issue:
  10
• Collection(s):
  CDC Public Access
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:05ba60e8d5ee1e2d4fd46c4cf873d42065972b361c12c93c40ea8cbb08b0408d
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/36723/cdc_36723_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 270.04 KB ]