Background

Smoking increases the risk of morbidity and mortality and is particularly harmful to HIV-infected people.

Purpose

To explore smoking trends and longitudinal factors associated with smoking cessation and recidivism among participants in the Women's Interagency HIV Study.

Methods

From 1994 through 2011, a total of 2,961 HIV-infected and 981 HIV-uninfected women were enrolled and underwent semi-annual interviews and specimen collection. Smoking prevalence was evaluated annually and risk factors associated with time to smoking cessation and recidivism were analyzed in 2013 using survival models.

Results

The annual cigarette smoking prevalence declined from 57% in 1995 to 39% in 2011 (p-trend<0.0001). Among smokers, factors significantly associated with a longer time to smoking cessation included less education, alcohol use, having health insurance, >10-year smoking duration, self-reported poor health rating, and having hypertension. Pregnancy in the past 6 months was associated with a shorter time to cessation. Among HIV-infected women, additional risk factors for longer time to cessation included lower household income, use of crack/cocaine/heroin, CD4 cell count ≤200, and highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) use. Predictors of smoking recidivism included marijuana use, enrollment in 1994-1996, and not living in one's own place. Among HIV-infected women, enrollment in 2001-2002 and crack/cocaine/heroin use were associated with a shorter time to recidivism, whereas older age and HAART use were associated with a longer time to recidivism.

Conclusions

Despite declining rates of cigarette smoking, integrated interventions are needed to help women with and at risk for HIV infection to quit smoking and sustain cessation.

Introduction

This study assessed longitudinal relationships between patient healthcare empowerment, engagement in care, and viral control in the Women's Interagency HIV Study, a prospective cohort study of U.S. women living with HIV.

Methods

From April 2014 to March 2016, four consecutive 6-month visits were analyzed among 973 women to assess the impact of Time 1 healthcare empowerment variables (Tolerance for Uncertainty and the state of Informed Collaboration Committed Engagement) on Time 2 reports of ≥95% HIV medication adherence and not missing an HIV primary care appointment since last visit; and on HIV RNA viral control across Times 3 and 4, controlling for illicit drug use, heavy drinking, depression symptoms, age, and income. Data were analyzed in 2017.

Results

Adherence of ≥95% was reported by 83% of women, 90% reported not missing an appointment since the last study visit, and 80% were categorized as having viral control. Logistic regression analyses revealed a significant association between the Informed Collaboration Committed Engagement subscale and viral control, controlling for model covariates (AOR=1.08, p=0.04), but not for the Tolerance for Uncertainty subscale and viral control (AOR=0.99, p=0.68). In separate mediation analyses, the indirect effect of Informed Collaboration Committed Engagement on viral control through adherence (β=0.04, SE=0.02, 95% CI=0.02, 0.08), and the indirect effect of Informed Collaboration Committed Engagement on viral control through retention (β=0.01, SE=0.008, 95% CI=0.001, 0.030) were significant. Mediation analyses with Tolerance for Uncertainty as the predictor did not yield significant indirect effects.

Conclusions

The Informed Collaboration Committed Engagement healthcare empowerment component is a promising pathway through which to promote engagement in care among women living with HIV.

Background

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, HIV experts suggested that an increase in mental health diagnoses and substance use among people living with HIV (PLHIV) may be an unintended consequence of COVID-19 mitigation efforts (e.g., limiting social contact). We evaluated short-term trajectories in binge drinking, marijuana, and recreational drug use in a prospective cohort of PLHIV.

Methods

Data (N = 2121 PLHIV) consist of survey responses on substance use behaviors from two pre-COVID-19 (October 2018-September 2019) and one COVID-19-era (April 2020-September 2020) timepoints within the MACS/WIHS Combined Cohort Study (MWCCS). We conducted group-based trajectory models, triangulated with generalized linear mixed models, to assess changes in binge drinking, daily marijuana use, and recreational drug use at the start of the pandemic. Controlling for age and race/ethnicity, we tested whether trajectories differed by sex and early-pandemic depressive symptoms, loneliness, and social support.

Results

Group-based trajectory models yielded two trajectory groups for binge drinking (none vs. any), marijuana (none/infrequent vs. daily), and recreational drug use (none vs. any). Binge drinking and recreational drug use decreased at the beginning of the pandemic. Generalized linear mixed model supported these trends. Consistent with prior research, male sex and having depressive symptoms early pandemic were positively associated with each substance use outcomes. Social support was inversely associated with recreational drug use.

Conclusions

Contrary to hypotheses, problematic substance use behaviors decreased from pre-pandemic to the post-pandemic follow-up in our sample of PLHIV. Ongoing surveillance is needed to assess whether this pattern persists as the pandemic continues.