Category Archives: Determinants of Health
A systematic review of treatment fatigue among HIV-infected patients prescribed antiretroviral therapy
HIV treatment requires lifelong adherence to medication regimens that comprise inconvenient scheduling, adverse side effects, and lifestyle changes. Antiretroviral adherence and treatment fatigue have been inextricably linked. Adherence in HIV-infected...
Behavioral and psychosocial interventions for HIV prevention in floating populations in China over the past decade: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Floating populations have been repeatedly characterized as “the tipping point” for the HIV epidemic in China. This study aims to systematically summarize and assess the effectiveness of HIV prevention...
Interventions to improve or facilitate linkage to or retention in pre-ART (HIV) care and initiation of ART in low- and middle-income settings – A systematic review
INTRODUCTION: Several approaches have been taken to reduce pre-antiretroviral therapy (ART) losses between HIV testing and ART initiation in low- and middle-income countries, but a systematic assessment of the evidence...
What are the benefits and barriers of communicating parental HIV status to seronegative children and the implications for Jamaica? A narrative review of the literature in low/middle income countries
OBJECTIVE: To examine the benefits/barriers for HIV positive parents of communicating their status to seronegative children in low/middle income countries in order to inform policy and practice in Jamaica. METHODS:...
Growth reconstitution following antiretroviral therapy and nutritional supplementation: Systematic review and meta-analysis
OBJECTIVE: As antiretroviral therapy (ART) expands for HIV-infected children, it is important to determine its impact on growth. We quantified growth and its determinants following ART in resource-limited (RLS) and...
Factors associated with parental non-adoption of infant male circumcision for HIV prevention in Sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review and thematic synthesis
Infant male circumcision (IMC) may be more effective at preventing HIV than adult male circumcision as the procedure is carried out before the individual becomes sexually active. Successful scale-up will...
A systematic review of individual and contextual factors affecting ART initiation, adherence, and retention for HIV-infected pregnant and postpartum women
BACKGROUND: Despite progress reducing maternal mortality, HIV-related maternal deaths remain high, accounting, for example, for up to 24 percent of all pregnancy-related deaths in sub-Saharan Africa. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is...
Gender difference in advanced HIV disease and late presentation according to European consensus definitions
Effectiveness of highly active antiretroviral therapy is limited for a large proportion of individuals living with HIV presenting for medical care at an advanced stage. Controversial results of gender differences...
Experience of persistent psychological symptoms and perceived stigma among people with HIV on antiretroviral therapy (ART): A systematic review
BACKGROUND: Advances in HIV care have resulted in increasing numbers of HIV patients receiving antiretroviral therapy and achieving viral control. This has led to a focus on the biomedical aspects...
Factors associated with adherence to antiretroviral therapy among adolescents living with HIV/AIDS in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review
Adolescents living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are disproportionately burdened by the global HIV/AIDS pandemic. Maintaining medication adherence is vital to ensuring that adolescents living with HIV/AIDS receive the...
A systematic review of nutritional supplementation in HIV-infected children in resource-limited settings
BACKGROUND: In resource-limited settings, malnutrition is the major cause of death in young children, but the precise benefits of nutritional supplementation for HIV-infected children are not well understood. METHODS: Two...