Category Archives: Epidemiology and Determinants of Health
Association between maternal HIV infection and low birth weight and prematurity: A meta-analysis of cohort studies
BACKGROUND: To assess the association between maternal human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and low birth weight (LBW)/prematurity (PTD), we conducted a meta-analysis of cohort studies of HIV infected and uninfected...
Socio-cultural factors influencing the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Nigeria: A synthesis of the literature
BACKGROUND: Currently, Nigeria alone accounts for 30% of the burden of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. This review explores the socio-cultural factors influencing prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) service...
Sexual risk reduction interventions for HIV prevention among South African youth: A meta-analytic review
OBJECTIVES: To examine the efficacy of sexual risk reduction interventions among South African youth. METHODS: Electronic databases were searched to identify studies published between 2007 and early 2013. Studies were...
The enabling effect of food assistance in improving adherence and/or treatment completion for antiretroviral therapy and tuberculosis treatment: A literature review
Socioeconomic costs of HIV and TB and the difficulty of maintaining optimal treatment are well documented. Social protection measures such as food assistance may be required to offset some of...
Review: An urgent need for research on factors impacting adherence to and retention in care among HIV-positive youth and adolescents from key populations
INTRODUCTION: The 50% increase in HIV-related deaths in youth and adolescents (aged 10-24) from 2005 to 2012 highlights the need to improve HIV treatment and care in this population, including...
Safer disclosure of HIV serostatus for women living with HIV who experience or fear violence: A systematic review
INTRODUCTION: Supporting individuals as they disclose their HIV serostatus may lead to a variety of individual and public health benefits. However, many women living with HIV are hesitant to disclose...
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:...
A comprehensive review of available epidemiologic and HIV service data for female sex workers, men who have sex with men, and people who inject drugs in select West and Central African countries
OBJECTIVE: To identify gaps in epidemiologic and HIV service coverage data for key populations (KP), including men who have sex with men (MSM), female sex workers (FSW), people who inject...
Discussing the effects of poor health literacy on patients facing HIV: A narrative literature review
BACKGROUND: Scholars describe poor health literacy as a “silent epidemic,” which is challenging the functioning of healthcare systems all over the world. Health literacy is mainly meant as an individual...
