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AbstractIntroductionEmpirical research on the burden and determinants of common mental disorders (CMDs), especially depression and anxiety, among older adults living with HIV (OALWH) in sub‐Saharan Africa is inadequate. To bridge the gap in Kenya we: (1) determined the prevalence of CMDs among OALWH on routine HIV care compared to HIV‐negative peers; (2) investigated HIV status as an independent predictor of CMDs in older adults; and (3) investigated CMD determinants.MethodsIn a cross‐sectional study conducted between 2020 and 2021, the prevalence of CMDs and associated determinants were investigated at the Kenyan coast among 440 adults aged ≥50 years (257 OALWH). The Patient Health Questionnaire and Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale were administered alongside measures capturing biopsychosocial information. Logistic regression was used to examine the correlates of CMDs.ResultsNo significant differences were found in the prevalence of mild depressive symptoms, 23.8% versus 18.2% (p = 0.16) and mild anxiety symptoms, 11.7% versus 7.2% (p = 0.12) among OALWH compared to HIV‐negative peers, respectively. HIV status was not independently predictive of CMDs. Among OALWH, higher perceived HIV‐related stigma, ageism, increasing household HIV burden, loneliness, increasing functional disability, sleeping difficulties, chronic fatigue and advanced age (>70 years) were associated with elevated CMDs. Among HIV‐negative older adults, loneliness, increased medication burden and sleeping difficulties were associated with elevated depressive symptoms. Easier access to HIV care was the only factor associated with lower CMDs among OALWH.ConclusionsOn the Kenyan coast, the burden of moderate and severe CMDs among older adults is low; however, both OALWH and their HIV‐negative peers have a similar relatively high burden of mild depressive and anxiety symptoms. Our results also suggest that determinants of CMDs among OALWH in this setting are predominantly psychosocial factors. These results highlight the need for psychosocial interventions (at the family, community and clinical levels) to mitigate the risks of mild CMDs as they are known to be potentially debilitating.

AbstractDespite the growing popularity of multidimensional poverty measurement and analysis, its use to measure the impact of social protection programs remains scarce. Using primary data collected for the evaluation of HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) 068, a randomized, conditional cash transfer intervention for young girls in South Africa that ran from 2011 to 2015, we construct an individual-level measure of multidimensional poverty, a major departure from standard indices that use the household as the unit of analysis. We construct our measure by aggregating multiple deprivation indicators across six dimensions and using a system of nested weights where each domain is weighted equally. Our findings show that the cash transfer consistently reduces deprivations among girls, in particular through the domains of economic agency, violence, and relationships. These results show how social protection interventions can improve the lives of young women beyond single domains and demonstrate the potential for social protection to simultaneously address multiple targets of the SDGs.

AbstractIntroductionTo maximize impact and minimize costs, antiretroviral pre‐exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) interventions should be offered to those at highest risk for HIV infection. The risk score derived from the VOICE trial is one tool currently being utilized to determine eligibility in adolescent PrEP trials in sub‐Saharan Africa. This study is aimed at evaluating the utility of the risk score in predicting HIV incidence among a cohort of adolescent girls in rural South Africa.MethodsWe utilized data from HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) 068, a phase III randomized controlled trial conducted in rural Mpumalanga province, South Africa. School‐attending young women aged 13 to 20 years were enrolled into the trial from 2011 to 2012 and followed for up to three years. A risk score based on individual‐level risk factors measured at enrolment was calculated for HPTN 068 participants who completed a one‐year follow‐up visit and were HIV seronegative at enrolment. Possible scores ranged from 0 to 10. A proportional hazards model was then used to determine if risk score at enrolment was predictive of incident HIV infection at follow‐up and an area under the curve analysis was used to examine the predictive ability of the score.Results and DiscussionThe risk score had limited variability in the HPTN 068 sample. Scores ≥5 identified 85% of incident infections from 94% of the sample, compared to the VOICE sample in which scores ≥5 identified 91% of incident infections from only 64% of participants. The risk score did not predict HIV incidence after one year of follow‐up (hazard ratio = 1.029; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.704, 1.503, p = .884) and showed poor predictive ability (area under the curve = 0.55; 95% CI: 0.44, 0.65). Certain individual risk factors that comprise the risk score may be context specific or not relevant for adolescent populations. Additional factors should be considered when assessing risk for the purposes of determining PrEP eligibility.ConclusionsThe VOICE risk score demonstrated low utility to predict HIV incidence in the HPTN 068 sample. Findings highlight the need for an age and developmentally appropriate tool for assessing risk for HIV infection among adolescents. Use of the VOICE risk score for determining PrEP eligibility in younger populations should be carefully considered.

AbstractIntroductionEvidence has shown that the experience of violence by a partner has important influences on women's risk of HIV acquisition. Using a randomized experiment in northeast South Africa, we found that a conditional cash transfer (CCT) targeted to poor girls in high school reduced the risk of physical intimate partner violence (IPV) in the past 12 months by 34%. The purpose of this analysis is to understand the pathways through which the CCT affects IPV.MethodsHPTN 068 was a phase 3, randomized controlled trial in rural Mpumalanga province, South Africa. Eligible young women (aged 13–20) and their parents or guardians were randomly assigned (1:1) to either receive a monthly cash transfer conditional on monthly high school attendance or no cash transfer. Between 2011 and 2015, participants (N = 2,448) were interviewed at baseline, then at annual follow‐up visits at 12, 24 and 36 months. The total effect of the CCT on IPV was estimated using a GEE log‐binomial regression model. We then estimated controlled direct effects to examine mediation of direct effects through intermediate pathways. Mediators include sexual partnership measures, the sexual relationship power scale, and household consumption measures.ResultsWe found evidence that the CCT works in part through delaying sexual debut or reducing the number of sexual partners. The intervention interacts with these mediators leading to larger reductions in IPV risk compared to the total effect of the CCT on any physical IPV [RR 0.66, CI(95%):0.59–0.74]. The largest reductions are seen when we estimate the controlled direct effect under no sexual debut [RR 0.57, CI(95%):0.48–0.65] or under no sexual partner in the last 12 months [RR 0.53, CI(95%):0.46–0.60].ConclusionsResults indicate that a CCT for high school girls has protective effects on their experience of IPV and that the effect is due in part to girls choosing not to engage in sexual partnerships, thereby reducing the opportunity for IPV. As a lower exposure to IPV and safer sexual behaviours also protect against HIV acquisition, this study adds to the growing body of evidence on how cash transfers may reduce young women's HIV risk.

Financial disclosure Funding: The research presented in this paper is funded by a Development Grant as part of the Health Systems Research Initiative from Department for International Development (DFID)/Medical Research Council (MRC)/Wellcome Trust/Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) (MR/N005597/1). The fieldwork was completed with the Umeå Centre for Global Health Research, with support from FORTE: Swedish Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare (grant No. 2006–1512). The School of Public Health at the University of the Witwatersrand, the South African Medical Research Council, and the Wellcome Trust, UK support the MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit and Agincourt HDSS (Grants 058893/Z/99/A; 069683/Z/02/Z; 085477/Z/08/Z; 085477/B/08/Z). OW is a recipient of an MSc Chevening Scholarship, the UK government's global scholarship programme, funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and partner organizations (Chevening Ref.: NGCV–2015–1194). ; Peer reviewed ; Publisher PDF

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.

BackgroundHIV testing rates in many hyper-endemic areas are lower than needed to curtail the HIV epidemic. New HIV testing strategies are needed to overcome barriers to traditional clinic based testing; HIV self-testing is one modality that offers promise in reaching individuals who experience barriers to clinic-based testing.MethodsWe conducted a randomized control trial among young women ages 18-26 living in rural Mpumalanga, South Africa where they were randomized in a 1:1 allocation to either the: (1) HIV Counseling and Testing (HCT) arm: an invitation to test at one of the 9 local government clinics where free HCT is provided and is standard of care (SOC), or (2) choice arm: choice of either a clinic-based HCT invitation or oral HIV Self-Testing (HIVST) kits. Depending on the arm, participants were also provided either: (1) 4 HCT invitations to provide to peers/partners for HIV testing at one of the 9 local clinics, or (2) 4 HIV self-test kits to provide to peers/partners (thus 5 total HIVST kits or HCT invitations). Young women were asked to return 3 months and 9 months after enrollment to assess testing uptake and invitation or kit distribution to peers and partners and experiences with testing. Peers and partners who were reported by index participants to have received kits/invitations during follow-up visits were also invited to attend a study visit to assess their testing experiences. The trial is registered at clinical trials.gov NCT03162965.Findings287 young women were enrolled and randomized, with 146 randomized to the HCT arm and 141 to the choice (HCT or HIVST) arm. Of those randomized to the choice arm, over 95% (n=135) chose the HIV self-testing kit and only 6 individuals chose HCT. At the 3-month follow-up visit, 92% of index participants in the choice arm reported having tested for HIV compared to 43% of participants in the HCT arm, resulting in a significant risk difference of 49% (95% CI 40%, 58%). By 9 months, this difference decreased to a risk difference of 25% (95% CI 17%, 33%) between ...

BackgroundHIV testing rates in many hyper-endemic areas are lower than needed to curtail the HIV epidemic. New HIV testing strategies are needed to overcome barriers to traditional clinic based testing; HIV self-testing is one modality that offers promise in reaching individuals who experience barriers to clinic-based testing.MethodsWe conducted a randomized control trial among young women ages 18-26 living in rural Mpumalanga, South Africa where they were randomized in a 1:1 allocation to either the: (1) HIV Counseling and Testing (HCT) arm: an invitation to test at one of the 9 local government clinics where free HCT is provided and is standard of care (SOC), or (2) choice arm: choice of either a clinic-based HCT invitation or oral HIV Self-Testing (HIVST) kits. Depending on the arm, participants were also provided either: (1) 4 HCT invitations to provide to peers/partners for HIV testing at one of the 9 local clinics, or (2) 4 HIV self-test kits to provide to peers/partners (thus 5 total HIVST kits or HCT invitations). Young women were asked to return 3 months and 9 months after enrollment to assess testing uptake and invitation or kit distribution to peers and partners and experiences with testing. Peers and partners who were reported by index participants to have received kits/invitations during follow-up visits were also invited to attend a study visit to assess their testing experiences. The trial is registered at clinical trials.gov NCT03162965.Findings287 young women were enrolled and randomized, with 146 randomized to the HCT arm and 141 to the choice (HCT or HIVST) arm. Of those randomized to the choice arm, over 95% (n=135) chose the HIV self-testing kit and only 6 individuals chose HCT. At the 3-month follow-up visit, 92% of index participants in the choice arm reported having tested for HIV compared to 43% of participants in the HCT arm, resulting in a significant risk difference of 49% (95% CI 40%, 58%). By 9 months, this difference decreased to a risk difference of 25% (95% CI 17%, 33%) between arms (96% in the choice arm and 72% in the HCT arm). Participants in the choice arm were also more likely to invite peers and partners to test compared to the HCT arm (94% vs. 76% or an average of 4.97 vs 2.79 tests). Few male partners were invited to test by index participants; however, index participants in the choice arm were more likely to have their male partners test than index participants in the HCT arm (RR 2.99, 95% CI 1.45, 6.16).InterpretationWhen given a choice between clinic-based HIV testing and HIV oral self-testing, the overwhelming majority of young women chose HIVST. In addition, those offered a choice of HIV testing modality were much more likely to test, distribute test kits to peers and partners, and to have peers and partners who reported testing compared to the HCT arm. Self-testing offers an important opportunity to significantly increase testing rates among young women and their peers and partners compared to clinic-based HCT. Other strategies to reach men with testing are needed.FundingUS National Institutes of Health.

BACKGROUND: HIV testing rates in many hyper-endemic areas are lower than needed to curtail the HIV epidemic. New HIV testing strategies are needed to overcome barriers to traditional clinic based testing; HIV self-testing is one modality that offers promise in reaching individuals who experience barriers to clinic-based testing. METHODS: We conducted a randomized control trial among young women ages 18-26 living in rural Mpumalanga, South Africa where they were randomized in a 1:1 allocation to either the: (1) HIV Counseling and Testing (HCT) arm: an invitation to test at one of the 9 local government clinics where free HCT is provided and is standard of care (SOC), or (2) choice arm: choice of either a clinic-based HCT invitation or oral HIV Self-Testing (HIVST) kits. Depending on the arm, participants were also provided either: (1) 4 HCT invitations to provide to peers/partners for HIV testing at one of the 9 local clinics, or (2) 4 HIV self-test kits to provide to peers/partners (thus 5 total HIVST kits or HCT invitations). Young women were asked to return 3 months and 9 months after enrollment to assess testing uptake and invitation or kit distribution to peers and partners and experiences with testing. Peers and partners who were reported by index participants to have received kits/invitations during follow-up visits were also invited to attend a study visit to assess their testing experiences. The trial is registered at clinical trials.gov NCT03162965. FINDINGS: 287 young women were enrolled and randomized, with 146 randomized to the HCT arm and 141 to the choice (HCT or HIVST) arm. Of those randomized to the choice arm, over 95% (n=135) chose the HIV self-testing kit and only 6 individuals chose HCT. At the 3-month follow-up visit, 92% of index participants in the choice arm reported having tested for HIV compared to 43% of participants in the HCT arm, resulting in a significant risk difference of 49% (95% CI 40%, 58%). By 9 months, this difference decreased to a risk difference of 25% (95% CI 17%, 33%) ...

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.

AbstractIntroductionAdolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in South Africa bear a disproportionate burden ofHIV. Community mobilization (CM), defined as community members taking collective action to achieve a common goal related to health, equity and rights, has been associated with increasedHIVtesting and condom use and has been called a 'critical enabler' for addressing theHIVepidemic. However, limited research has examined whetherCMis associated withHIVincidence amongAGYW.MethodsWe examine the association ofCMwith incidentHIVamongAGYW(ages 13 to 21) enrolled in theHPTN068 cohort in the Agincourt Health and socio‐Demographic Surveillance System, South Africa. This analysis includes 2292 participants residing in 26 villages where cross‐sectional, population‐based surveys were conducted to measureCMamong 18‐ to 35‐year‐old residents in 2012 and 2014.HPTN068 participants completed up to five annual visits that included anHIVtest (2011 to 2016). Household‐level data were collected fromAGYWparents/guardians and census data is updated annually. Mean village‐levelCMscores were created using a validated community mobilization measure with seven components (social cohesion, social control, critical consciousness, shared concerns, organizations and networks, leadership and collective action). We used pooled generalized estimating equation regression with a Poisson distribution to estimate risk ratios (RR) for the association of village‐levelCMscore andCMcomponents with incidentHIVinfection, accounting for village‐level clustering and adjusting for key covariates.ResultsThere were 194 incident infections over the follow‐up period. For every additional standard deviation of village‐levelCMthere was 12% lowerHIVincidence (RR: 0.88, 95%CI: 0.79, 0.98) after adjusting for individual, household and community characteristics.CMcomponents associated with lowerHIVincidence included critical consciousness (RR: 0.88;CI: 0.79, 0.97) and leadership (RR: 0.87;CI: 0.79, 0.95); while not statistically significant, social cohesion (RR: 0.91;CI: 0.81, 1.01), shared concerns (RR: 0.90;CI: 0.81, 1.00), and organizations and networks (RR: 0.91;CI: 0.79, 1.03) may also play a protective role.ConclusionsThese results suggest that having strong community social resources will reduceAGYW's risk ofHIVacquisition. Work to mobilize communities, focusing on building social cohesion, shared concerns, critical consciousness, and effective and accountable leadership, can fortify prevention programming forAGYW.

Background: HIV transmission can be decreased substantially by reducing the burden of undiagnosed HIV infection and expanding early and consistent use of antiretroviral therapy (ART). Treatment as prevention (TasP) has been proposed as key to ending the HIV epidemic. To activate TasP in high prevalence countries, like South Africa, communities must be motivated to know their status, engage in care, and remain in care. Community mobilization (CM) has the potential to significantly increase uptake testing, linkage to and retention in care by addressing the primary social barriers to engagement with HIV care-including poor understanding of HIV care; fear and stigma associated with infection, clinic attendance and disclosure; lack of social support; and gender norms that deter men from accessing care. Methods/design: Using a cluster randomized trial design, we are implementing a 3-year-theory-based CM intervention and comparing gains in HIV testing, linkage, and retention in care among individuals residing in 8 intervention communities to that of individuals residing in 7 control communities. Eligible communities include 15 villages within a health and demographic surveillance site (HDSS) in rural Mpumalanga, South Africa, that were not exposed to previous CM efforts. CM activities conducted in the 8 intervention villages map onto six mobilization domains that comprise the key components for community mobilization around HIV prevention. To evaluate the intervention, we will link a clinic-based electronic clinical tracking system in all area clinics to the HDSS longitudinal census data, thus creating an open, population-based cohort with over 30,000 18-49-year-old residents. We will estimate the marginal effect of the intervention on individual outcomes using generalized estimating equations. In addition, we will evaluate CM processes by conducting baseline and endline surveys among a random sample of 1200 community residents at each time point to monitor intervention exposure and community level change using validated measures of CM. Discussion: Given the known importance of community social factors with regard to uptake of testing and HIV care, and the lack of rigorously evaluated community-level interventions effective in improving testing uptake, linkage and retention, the proposed study will yield much needed data to understand the potential of CM to improve the prevention and care cascade. Further, our work in developing a CM framework and domain measures will permit validation of a CM conceptual framework and process, which should prove valuable for community programming in Africa.