Social support and school outcomes of adolescents orphaned and made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS living in South Western Uganda

The goal of this study is to examine the role of social support from multiple sources, including the extended family, caregivers, classmates, peers and teachers, in improving the school outcomes (grades and attendance) of children orphaned by AIDS in Uganda. Data for this study comes from a 4-year randomized control trial, called Suubi-Maka (Hope for families), conducted in the Southwestern part of Uganda from 2008 to 2012. Using multivariate regression modeling – controlling for several individual-level and school-level characteristics, we find that social support (perceived emotional and information support received from parents, classmates and teachers), caregiver’s acceptance and warmth, and family cohesion have positive effects on children’s school grades and attendance. This finding underscores the importance of strengthening relationships within the extended family and the school environment to serve as a net of strength that can influence not only family functioning but also vulnerable adolescents’ educational trajectories.     

Contraceptive intentions of survivors of severe acute maternal morbidity in Kaduna State,Nigeria

Objective: Intention to use modern contraception in women with severe acute maternal morbidity (SAMM) presents a window of opportunity to scale up postpartum family planning to prevent future complications. The aim of this study was to determine the factors that affect the contraceptive intentions of women who survive SAMM in Kaduna State, northern Nigeria.

Methods: SAMM survivors aged 15–49 years were recruited after recovery and interviewed before discharge from hospital.

Results: Of the 330 women studied, 246 (74.5%) had wanted the index pregnancy. Although their knowledge of modern contraception was good (89.1%), only 44.5% had ever used modern contraception. The main reason given for not wanting to use modern contraception was that God should decide on the number of children. Injectables, pills, implants and male condoms were the commonest contraceptive methods used. Of the women who gave reasons for stopping these contraceptives, the main reasons in 61% were desire to conceive and fear of side effects. The majority (72.4%) of the women wished to have more children and 69.1% intended to use contraception in the future. The husband’s permission was needed by 78.2% of respondents before using contraception. The commonest reason given for not wanting to get pregnant again was to avoid complications (30.4%) and that family size had been completed (28.6%).

Conclusion: Male partner involvement and counselling to address religious views and fear of side effects are critical to the acceptance of postpartum family planning in SAMM survivors.     

Adherence and retention on antiretroviral therapy in a public‐private partnership program in Nigeria

Initiation of HIV‐positive patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Nigeria was restricted to secondary and tertiary level hospitals due to weak health systems in primary health centres (PHCs). Shell Petroleum Development Company (SDPC) Nigeria and FHI 360 using a systems strengthening approach, piloted ART enrolment in a PHC in south‐eastern Nigeria. This study sought to evaluate patients’ adherence and mortality on ART, and associated risk factors. We reviewed clinic records of adult patients initiating ART between January 2007 and December 2009. Adherence was calculated as the number of days of medication dispensed as a percentage of total number of days evaluated. Outcome measures were probability of being alive and retained in care at 12 and 24 months on ART. Competing risks regression models were used to assess potential predictors associated with mortality. Total of 196 patients (64.8% males) were initiated on ART. Patients’ median age was 35 years (IQR 30–44); median CD4 at initiation was 132 cells/mm³ (IQR 82–212), Patients in WHO stage III and IV constituted 73 (37.6%) and 83 (42.8%) respectively. Majority (108 [55.1%]) of patients had adherence rates >95%. Adherence levels ranged: 70–85%, 50–65% and <50% in 29 (14.8%), 30 (15.3%) and 29 (14.8%) of patients respectively. Nucleoside backbone use were AZT/3TC (69.4%) d4T/3TC (28.6%) and TDF/FTC (2%). At 12 months of follow up, 80.6% (158) were alive and on ART, mortality accounted for 12.8% (25), 11 (5.6%) were LTFU and 2 (1.1%) transferred out. At 24 months on ART survival decreased to 64.3% (126), 20.4% (40) died, 9.2% (18) were LTFU and 12 (6.1%) transferred out. Competing risks regression models revealed that patients’ factors significantly associated with mortality include: bedridden patients (HR=3.6 [95% CI: 1.11–11.45], p=0.03, referent: working), <50% adherence levels (HR=27.7 [95% CI: 8.55–89.47], p<0.0001, referent: >95% adherence level). In conclusion, majority of attrition was due to mortality. Poor adherence was associated with 27 times higher risk of death compared with patients with >95% adherence. Mortality is likely to reduce by establishing a more robust adherence counselling process.     

Adrenalectomy in Older Americans has Increased Morbidity and Mortality: An Analysis of 6,416 Patients

Background  

The incidence of adrenal tumors increases with age. We examined the impact of older age (>60 years) on clinical and economic outcomes after adrenalectomy.