Category Archives: Epidemiology and Determinants of Health
Complementary and alternative medicine use among HIV-positive people: Research synthesis and implications for HIV care
Use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is prevalent among HIV-positive individuals despite the success of antiretroviral treatments and limited evidence of CAM’s safety and efficacy. To characterize the potential...
Rethinking the heterosexual infectivity of HIV-1: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Studies of cumulative HIV incidence suggest that cofactors such as genital ulcer disease, HIV disease stage, and male circumcision influence HIV transmission; however, the heterosexual infectivity of HIV-1 is commonly...
Prevalence of HIV and syphilis infections among long-distance truck drivers in China: A data synthesis and meta-analysis
By 2009, 46 national sentinel surveillance sites had been established for long-distance truck drivers (LDTDs) in China, but the overall disease burden of HIV and syphilis among LDTDs has remained...
Determinants of male involvement in maternal and child health services in sub-Saharan Africa: A review
INTRODUCTION: Male participation is a crucial component in the optimization of Maternal and Child Health (MCH) services. This is especially so where prevention strategies to decrease Mother-to-Child Transmission (MTCT) of...
Challenges, coping strategies, and recommendations related to the HIV services field in the HAART era: A systematic literature review of qualitative studies from the United States and Canada
Qualitative research methods have been utilized to study the nature of work in the HIV services field. Yet current literature lacks a Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Treatment (HAART) era compendium of...
Interferon-gamma release assays for the diagnosis of active tuberculosis in HIV-infected patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Interferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs) have provided a new method for the diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. However, the role of IGRAs for the diagnosis of active tuberculosis (TB), especially...
Male involvement in prevention programs of mother to child transmission of HIV: A systematic review to identify barriers and facilitators
BACKGROUND: Many reports point to the beneficial effect of male partner involvement in programs for the prevention of mother-to-child-transmission (PMTCT) of HIV in curbing pediatric HIV infections. This paper summarizes...
A meta-analysis of disclosure of one’s HIV-positive status, stigma and social support
This study provides an analysis of the relationships among perceived stigma, reported disclosure and perceived social support for those living with HIV. The meta-analytic summary of 21 studies (4,104 participants)...
Factors that affect HIV testing and counseling services among heterosexuals in Canada and the United Kingdom: An integrated review
OBJECTIVE: To examine factors that affect the utilization of HIV testing and counseling (HTC) services among heterosexual populations in Canada and the U.K. METHODS: We conducted an integrated review of...
HIV infection and sexual risk behaviour among youth who have experienced orphanhood: Systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Previous research has suggested that orphaned children and adolescents might have elevated risk for HIV infection. We examined the state of evidence regarding the association between orphan status and...
Risk factors for tuberculosis in foreign-born people (FBP) in Italy: A systematic review and meta-analysis
In Italy, TB notifications in foreign-born people (FBP) are steadily increasing. To investigate this issue we did a meta-analysis on risk factors for FBP people. A systematic search was performed...
