HIV prevalence among female sex workers, drug users and men who have sex with men in Brazil: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Brazilian response towards AIDS epidemic is well known, but the absence of a systematic review of vulnerable populations ─ men who have sex with men (MSM), female sex workers (FSW), and drug users (DU) remains a main gap in the available literature. Our goal was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies assessing HIV prevalence among MSM, FSW and DU, calculating a combined pooled prevalence and summarizing factors associated the pooled prevalence for each group.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Nine electronic databases (MEDLINE via PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane CENTRAL, AIDSLINE, AMED, CINAHL, TOXNET, SciELO, and ISI-Web of Science) were searched for peer-reviewed papers published in English, French, Spanish or Portuguese, from 1999 to 2009. To be included in the review, studies had to measure HIV prevalence and/or incidence as the primary outcome among at least one specific population under analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The studies targeting the three populations analyzed mostly young participants aged 30 years or less. Among FSW, eight studies were selected (3,625 participants), consistently identifying higher condom use with sexual clients than with occasional and stable partners. The combined HIV prevalence for FSW was 6.2 (95% CI: 4.4-8.3). Ten studies targeting MSM were identified (6,475 participants). Unprotected anal intercourse was commonly reported on those studies, but with great variability according to the nature of the relationship - stable vs. occasional sex partners - and sexual practice - receptive vs. insertive anal sex. Pooled HIV prevalence for MSM was 13.6 (95% CI: 8.2-20.2). Twenty nine studies targeting DU were identified (13,063 participants). Those studies consistently identified injection drug use and syringe/needle sharing as key predictors of HIV-infection, as well as engagement in sex work and male-to-male sex. The combined HIV prevalence across studies targeting DU was 23.1 (95% CI: 16.7-30.2).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>FSW, MSM and DU from Brazil have a much risk of acquiring HIV infection compared to the general population, among which HIV prevalence has been relatively low (~0.6%). Those vulnerable populations should be targeted by focused prevention strategies that provide accurate information, counseling and testing, as well as concrete means to foster behavior change (e.g. access to condoms, drug abuse treatment, and clean syringes in the case of active injecting drug users), tailored to gender and culture-specific needs. Programs that provide these services need to be implemented on public health services throughout the country, in order to decrease the vulnerability of those populations to HIV infection.</p

Reaching the Hard-to-Reach: A Probability Sampling Method for Assessing Prevalence of Driving under the Influence after Drinking in Alcohol Outlets

Drinking alcoholic beverages in places such as bars and clubs may be associated with harmful consequences such as violence and impaired driving. However, methods for obtaining probabilistic samples of drivers who drink at these places remain a challenge – since there is no a priori information on this mobile population – and must be continually improved. This paper describes the procedures adopted in the selection of a population-based sample of drivers who drank at alcohol selling outlets in Porto Alegre, Brazil, which we used to estimate the prevalence of intention to drive under the influence of alcohol. The sampling strategy comprises a stratified three-stage cluster sampling: 1) census enumeration areas (CEA) were stratified by alcohol outlets (AO) density and sampled with probability proportional to the number of AOs in each CEA; 2) combinations of outlets and shifts (COS) were stratified by prevalence of alcohol-related traffic crashes and sampled with probability proportional to their squared duration in hours; and, 3) drivers who drank at the selected COS were stratified by their intention to drive and sampled using inverse sampling. Sample weights were calibrated using a post-stratification estimator. 3,118 individuals were approached and 683 drivers interviewed, leading to an estimate that 56.3% (SE = 3,5%) of the drivers intended to drive after drinking in less than one hour after the interview. Prevalence was also estimated by sex and broad age groups. The combined use of stratification and inverse sampling enabled a good trade-off between resource and time allocation, while preserving the ability to generalize the findings. The current strategy can be viewed as a step forward in the efforts to improve surveys and estimation for hard-to-reach, mobile populations

Evaluating a selective prevention programme for binge drinking among young adolescents: study protocol of a randomized controlled trial

Contains fulltext : 99319.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)Background In comparison to other Europe countries, Dutch adolescents are at the top in drinking frequency and binge drinking. A total of 75% of the Dutch 12 to 16 year olds who drink alcohol also engage in binge drinking. A prevention programme called Preventure was developed in Canada to prevent adolescents from binge drinking. This article describes a study that aims to assess the effects of this selective school-based prevention programme in the Netherlands. Methods A randomized controlled trial is being conducted among 13 to 15-year-old adolescents in secondary schools. Schools were randomly assigned to the intervention and control conditions. The intervention condition consisted of two 90 minute group sessions, carried out at the participants' schools and provided by a qualified counsellor and a co-facilitator. The intervention targeted young adolescents who demonstrated personality risk for alcohol abuse. The group sessions were adapted to four personality profiles. The control condition received no further intervention above the standard substance use education sessions provided in the Dutch national curriculum. The primary outcomes will be the percentage reduction in binge drinking, weekly drinking and drinking-related problems after three specified time periods. A screening survey collected data by means of an Internet questionnaire. Students have completed, or will complete, a post-treatment survey after 2, 6, and 12 months, also by means of an online questionnaire. Discussion This study protocol presents the design and current implementation of a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a selective alcohol prevention programme. We expect that a significantly lower number of adolescents will binge drink, drink weekly, and have drinking-related problems in the intervention condition compared to the control condition, as a result of this intervention.9 p

Binge drinking : a pattern associated with a risk of problems of alcohol use among university students

Objective:: to evaluate problems associated with alcohol use among university students who reported binge drinking in comparison to students who consumed alcohol without binging. Method:: a cross-sectional study among university students (N=2,408) who accessed the website about alcohol use. Logistic and linear regression models were included in the statistical analyzes. Results:: alcohol use in the last three months was reported by 89.2% of university students; 51.6% reported binge drinking. Compared to students who did not binge drink, university students who presented this pattern were more likely to report all evaluated problems, among them: black out (aOR: 5.4); having academic problems (aOR: 3.4); acting impulsively and having regrets (aOR: 2.9); getting involved in fights (aOR: 2.6); drinking and driving (aOR: 2.6) and accepting a ride with someone who had drunk alcohol (aOR: 1.8). Students who binged also had higher scores on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (b=4.6; p<0.001), more negative consequences (b=1.0; p<0.001) and a reduced perception of the negativity of the consequences (b=-0.5; p<0.01). Conclusion:: binge drinking was associated with an increase in the chances of manifesting problems related to alcohol use. The conclusions of this study cannot be generalized for all of the Brazilian population. Objetivo:: avaliar problemas associados ao uso de álcool entre universitários que relataram binge drinking em comparação a estudantes que consumiram álcool sem binge drinking. Método:: estudo transversal entre universitários (N=2.408) que acessaram website sobre o uso de álcool. Nas análises estatísticas incluíram-se modelos de regressão logística e linear. Resultados:: o uso de álcool, nos últimos três meses, foi relatado por 89,2% dos universitários e 51,6% referiram uso binge. Comparados a estudantes que não praticaram binge, universitários que apresentaram esse padrão tiveram maior chance de relatar todos os problemas avaliados, entre eles: incapacidade de lembrar o que aconteceu (aOR:5,4); problemas acadêmicos (aOR:3,4); agir impulsivamente e se arrepender (aOR:2,9); envolver-se em brigas (aOR:2,6); dirigir após beber (aOR:2,6) e pegar carona com alguém que bebeu (aOR:1,8). Estudantes que consumiram álcool no padrão binge também apresentaram maior pontuação no Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (b=4,6; p<0,001), mais consequências negativas (b=1,0; p<0,001) e menos percepção da negatividade das consequências (b=-0,5; p<0,01). Conclusão:: a prática de binge drinking esteve associada ao aumento das chances de manifestação de problemas relacionados ao uso de álcool. As conclusões deste estudo não podem ser reproduzidas para toda realidade brasileira. Objetivo:: evaluar problemas asociados al uso de alcohol entre estudiantes universitarios que relataron binge drinking en comparación a estudiantes que consumieron alcohol sin binge drinking. Método:: estudio transversal entre estudiantes universitarios (N=2.408) que visitaron una página web sobre el uso de alcohol. En los análisis estadísticos, fueron incluidos modelos de regresión logística y linear. Resultados:: el uso de alcohol, en los últimos tres meses, fue relatado por 89,2% de los estudiantes universitarios, y entre ellos 51,6% relataron uso binge. En comparación a estudiantes universitarios que no practicaron binge, los estudiantes que presentaron ese estándar tuvieron una mayor oportunidad de relatar todos los problemas evaluados, entre ellos: incapacidad de recordar lo que sucedió (aOR:5,4); problemas académicos (aOR:3,4); actuar por impulso y arrepentirse (aOR:2,9); involucrarse en peleas (aOR:2,6); manejar después de beber (aOR:2,6) y compartieron viaje con alguien que bebió (aOR:1,8). Estudiantes que consumieron alcohol dentro del estándar binge también presentaron una mayor puntuación en el Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (b=4,6; p<0,001), más consecuencias negativas (b=1,0; p<0,001) y menor percepción de la negatividad de las consecuencias (b=-0,5; p<0,01). Conclusión:: la práctica de binge drinking estuvo asociada al aumento de las oportunidades de manifestación de problemas relacionados al alcohol. Las conclusiones de este estudio no pueden ser adaptadas a toda la realidad brasileña