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Retrospective alcohol use data are prone to recall bias, a limitation that could be addressed with real-time ecological momentary assessment (EMA) tools. We aimed to (1) introduce a simple (single-click) EMA methodology for collecting real-time alcohol use data, and (2) investigate the EMA methodology's performance relative to established alcohol use data collection tools. In March–April 2021, we sampled undergraduate students ( n = 84) and collected a week of alcohol use data. Participants entered their real-time drinking start times using our EMA methodology, self-reported their drinking details in daily surveys, and a subsample recorded their breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) using smart breathalyzers. We estimated the accuracy of our EMA methodology in collecting alcohol use data relative to data collected by daily surveys and breathalyzers. Overall, 199 drinking events were recorded with the EMA methodology. Numbers of drinks recorded with the EMA methodology were correlated with self-reported daily surveys ( r = .82, p < .001) and BrAC readings ( r = .69, p < .001). Sensitivity and specificity of the EMA methodology in detecting heavy drinking relative to daily surveys were 82% (95% CI [67%, 92%]) and 97% (95% CI [85%, 100%]), respectively. These were 74% (95% CI: [64%, 83%]) and 92% (95% CI: [85%, 96%]) for binge drinking. Similar results were found when we used breathalyzers as the reference standard test. We developed an EMA methodology for collecting real-time alcohol use data (alcohol drinking start-time, frequency, magnitude, patterns, and pace). Our findings support the utility of our EMA methodology in collecting alcohol use data among college students.

AbstractIntroductionAlthough HIV prevalence is exceptionally high in South Africa, HIV testing rates remain below targeted guidelines. Older adults living with HIV are substantially more likely to remain undiagnosed than younger people. Cognitive function and literacy could play key roles in HIV status knowledge due to the decision‐making processes required around weighing the costs and benefits of testing, navigating testing logistics and processing results. We aimed to assess the independent relationships among each of cognitive function, literacy and education with HIV status knowledge in a population‐based sample of older adults living in a rural South African community with high HIV prevalence.MethodsWe analyzed data from a population‐based study of 5059 men and women aged 40 years and older in rural South Africa (Health and Aging in Africa: A Longitudinal Study of an INDEPTH community (HAALSI)). HAALSI surveys, conducted between 2014 and 2015, queried self‐reported literacy, educational attainment and HIV status knowledge. Laboratory tests were conducted to assess true HIV sero‐status. Cognitive function was assessed with a battery of cognitive tests measuring time orientation, immediate and delayed recall, and numeracy and coded using confirmatory factor analysis as a z‐standardized latent variable. We estimated the relationship between the outcome of HIV status knowledge and each of three exposures: (1) latent cognitive z‐score, (2) literacy and (3) education, using confounder‐adjusted modified Poisson regression models in the study population overall and stratified by HIV sero‐status.ResultsWe found that HIV status knowledge was higher among those with higher cognitive z‐scores (adjusted Prevalence Ratio (aPR) (95% CI): 1.18 (1.14, 1.21) per standard deviation unit), and among literate participants (aPR (95% CI): 1.24 (1.16, 1.32) vs. non‐literate participants). Taken together, the associations with literacy and cognitive function completely attenuated the otherwise positive association between educational attainment and HIV status knowledge. The magnitudes of effect were generally similar among laboratory‐confirmed HIV‐negative and HIV‐positive participants.ConclusionsCampaigns that target older adults in rural South Africa with HIV testing messages should carefully consider the cognitive and literacy levels of the intended audience. Innovations to ease the cognitive load associated with HIV testing could prove fruitful to increase HIV status knowledge.

Introduction Although HIV prevalence is exceptionally high in South Africa, HIV testing rates remain below targeted guidelines. Older adults living with HIV are substantially more likely to remain undiagnosed than younger people. Cognitive function and literacy could play key roles in HIV status knowledge due to the decision-making processes required around weighing the costs and benefits of testing, navigating testing logistics and processing results. We aimed to assess the independent relationships among each of cognitive function, literacy and education with HIV status knowledge in a population-based sample of older adults living in a rural South African community with high HIV prevalence. Methods We analyzed data from a population-based study of 5059 men and women aged 40 years and older in rural South Africa (Health and Aging in Africa: A Longitudinal Study of an INDEPTH community (HAALSI)). HAALSI surveys, conducted between 2014 and 2015, queried self-reported literacy, educational attainment and HIV status knowledge. Laboratory tests were conducted to assess true HIV sero-status. Cognitive function was assessed with a battery of cognitive tests measuring time orientation, immediate and delayed recall, and numeracy and coded using confirmatory factor analysis as a z-standardized latent variable. We estimated the relationship between the outcome of HIV status knowledge and each of three exposures: (1) latent cognitive z-score, (2) literacy and (3) education, using confounder-adjusted modified Poisson regression models in the study population overall and stratified by HIV sero-status. Results We found that HIV status knowledge was higher among those with higher cognitive z-scores (adjusted Prevalence Ratio (aPR) (95% CI): 1.18 (1.14, 1.21) per standard deviation unit), and among literate participants (aPR (95% CI): 1.24 (1.16, 1.32) vs. non-literate participants). Taken together, the associations with literacy and cognitive function completely attenuated the otherwise positive association between educational attainment and HIV status knowledge. The magnitudes of effect were generally similar among laboratory-confirmed HIV-negative and HIV-positive participants. Conclusions Campaigns that target older adults in rural South Africa with HIV testing messages should carefully consider the cognitive and literacy levels of the intended audience. Innovations to ease the cognitive load associated with HIV testing could prove fruitful to increase HIV status knowledge.

AbstractIntroduction: In South Africa, older adults make up a growing proportion of people living with HIV. HIV programmes are likely to reach older South Africans in home‐based interventions where testing is not always feasible. We evaluate the accuracy of self‐reported HIV status, which may provide useful information for targeting interventions or offer an alternative to biomarker testing.Methods: Data were taken from the Health and Aging in Africa: A Longitudinal Study of an INDEPTH Community in South Africa (HAALSI) baseline survey, which was conducted in rural Mpumalanga province, South Africa. A total of 5059 participants aged ≥40 years were interviewed from 2014 to 2015. Self‐reported HIV status and dried bloodspots for HIV biomarker testing were obtained during at‐home interviews. We calculated sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) for self‐reported status compared to "gold standard" biomarker results. Log‐binomial regression explored associations between demographic characteristics, antiretroviral therapy (ART) status and sensitivity of self‐report.Results: Most participants (93%) consented to biomarker testing. Of those with biomarker results, 50.9% reported knowing their HIV status and accurately reported it. PPV of self‐report was 94.1% (95% confidence interval (CI): 92.0–96.0), NPV was 87.2% (95% CI: 86.2–88.2), sensitivity was 51.2% (95% CI: 48.2–54.3) and specificity was 99.0% (95% CI: 98.7–99.4). Participants on ART were more likely to report their HIV‐positive status, and participants reporting false‐negatives were more likely to have older HIV tests.Conclusions: The majority of participants were willing to share their HIV status. False‐negative reports were largely explained by lack of testing, suggesting HIV stigma is retreating in this setting, and that expansion of HIV testing and retesting is still needed in this population. In HIV interventions where testing is not possible, self‐reported status should be considered as a routine first step to establish HIV status.