Validation of the Bayley Infant Neurodevelopmental Screener Among HIV-Exposed Infants in Rural South Africa.

Introduction: Screening for developmental delays during critical periods of infant development is essential for early detection and intervention. Among high-risk infants in resource-limited settings, including those who are HIV exposed, there is a greater need for screening. This study expanded on previous analyses of the Bayley Infant Neurodevelopmental Screener (BINS) by providing psychometric properties to evaluate the appropriateness of using the BINS in a sample of HIV-exposed infants in rural South Africa.

Sexual risk behaviour among HIV-infected women in the first twelve months after delivery in South Africa.

This study aimed to assess sexual risk behaviour and its social correlates in HIV-infected women living in rural South Africa at six and twelve months post-partum. Participants were 699 HIV-positive women recruited prenatally by systematic sampling from twelve community health centres in Mpumalanga province, South Africa (mean age = 28.4 years, SD = 5.

Determinants of disclosure and non-disclosure of HIV-positive status, by pregnant women in rural South Africa.

Disclosure of HIV status remains one of the major challenges to the effectiveness of the prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV in rural areas in South Africa. This study aimed at assessing the determinants of HIV status disclosure among HIV infected pregnant women who have disclosed their HIV status to someone, as well as among those who have disclosed to their partners. Cross-sectional data was collected from 673 HIV sero-positive pregnant women receiving antenatal care services at 12 Community Health Centers in Mpumalanga province.

Pre- and postnatal exposure to intimate partner violence among South African HIV-infected mothers and infant developmental functioning at 12 months of age.

In rural South Africa, pregnant HIV-infected women report high rates of psychological (55%) and physical (20%) intimate partner violence (IPV). IPV increases the risk of infant developmental delays. Such delays may have negative socioemotional and cognitive outcomes throughout the lifespan.

Infant Development and Pre- and Post-partum Depression in Rural South African HIV-Infected Women.

HIV-exposed infants born to depressed women may be at risk for adverse developmental outcomes. Half of HIV-infected women in rural South Africa (SA) may suffer from pregnancy-related depression. This pilot study examined the impact of depression in HIV-infected women in rural SA on infant development.

The Achilles' heel of prevention to mother-to-child transmission of HIV: Protocol implementation, uptake, and sustainability.

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS proposed to reduce the vertical transmission of HIV from ∼72,200 to ∼8300 newly infected children by 2015 in South Africa (SA). However, cultural, infrastructural, and socio-economic barriers hinder the implementation of the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) protocol, and research on potential solutions to address these barriers in rural areas is particularly limited. This study sought to identify challenges and solutions to the implementation, uptake, and sustainability of the PMTCT protocol in rural SA.

Clients' perceptions and satisfaction with HIV counselling and testing: A cross-sectional study in 56 HCT sites in South Africa.

Background: Client satisfaction serves as a predictor for acceptance of HIV counselling and testing (HCT) services. Therefore, the study of clients' perception and satisfaction may offer insights on how to improve HCT programmes.

Aim And Setting: The aim of this study was to assess clients' satisfaction with HCT as well as describe perceived barriers to and facilitators of HIV testing by HCT clients in South Africa.

Intimate partner violence among HIV positive pregnant women in South Africa.

The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) and associated factors among pregnant HIV-infected women in primary health care facilities in Nkangala and Gert Sibande districts, Mpumalanga, South Africa. Participants were 673 women who were, on average, 28.39 ± 5.

Perceptions of sugar mommy practices in South Africa.

The study sought to explore sugar mommy practices regarding their occurrence, acceptability as well as perceived reasons why older women and younger men enter into sugar mommy relationships. An exploratory qualitative study involving 135 participants from 11 diverse focus groups in terms of age, gender (females=27%) and geotype throughout the nine South African provinces was conducted. Data on the participants' views, opinions and experiences of sugar mommy practices were collected using focus group interviews.

Implementing comprehensive prevention of mother-to-child transmission and HIV prevention for South African couples: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: In rural South Africa, only two-thirds of HIV-positive pregnant women seeking antenatal care at community health centers took full advantage of 'prevention of mother-to-child transmission' (PMTCT) services in 2010. Studies generally support male involvement to promote PMTCT, but the nature and impact of that involvement is unclear and untested. Additionally, stigma, disclosure and intimate partner violence pose significant barriers to PMTCT uptake and retention in care, suggesting that male involvement may be 'necessary, but not sufficient' to reduce infant HIV incidence.

Covariates of condom use in South Africa: findings from a national population-based survey in 2008.

Condom use has increased significantly over the past decade among all adult age groups in South Africa, and it is widely believed to have played a major role in the recent significant decline in HIV incidence in the country, especially among young people. This study investigated the demographic, behavioural and psychosocial correlates of condom use at last sex among a national random probability sample of sexually experienced respondents aged 15 years and older (n = 7817, 42.9% males and 57.

Screening and brief interventions for hazardous and harmful alcohol use among patients with active tuberculosis attending primary public care clinics in South Africa: results from a cluster randomized controlled trial.

Background: In 2008 the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that South Africa had the highest tuberculosis (TB) incidence in the world. This high incidence rate is linked to a number of factors, including HIV co-infection and alcohol use disorders. The diagnosis and treatment package for TB and HIV co-infection is relatively well established in South Africa.

Predictors of tuberculosis (TB) and antiretroviral (ARV) medication non-adherence in public primary care patients in South Africa: a cross sectional study.

Background: Despite the downward trend in the absolute number of tuberculosis (TB) cases since 2006 and the fall in the incidence rates since 2001, the burden of disease caused by TB remains a global health challenge. The co-infection between TB and HIV adds to this disease burden. TB is completely curable through the intake of a strict anti-TB drug treatment regimen which requires an extremely high and consistent level of adherence.

Hazardous and harmful alcohol use and associated factors in tuberculosis public primary care patients in South Africa.

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of hazardous and harmful alcohol use and associated factors among patients with tuberculosis in South Africa. In a cross-sectional survey new tuberculosis (TB) and TB retreatment patients were consecutively screened using the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) within one month of anti-tuberculosis treatment. The sample included 4,900 (54.

Prevalence of post-traumatic stress symptoms and associated factors in tuberculosis (TB), TB retreatment and/or TB-HIV co-infected primary public health-care patients in three districts in South Africa.

High rates of tuberculosis (TB) and TB/HIV co-infection is often linked with mental health issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, which is further associated with poor health outcomes. In a country such as South Africa where rates of these infectious diseases are high, it is concerning that there is limited/no data on prevalence rates of mental disorders such as PTSD and its associated factors. Therefore, the aim of this study was to establish the prevalence of PTSD symptoms and associated factors in TB, TB retreatment and/or TB-HIV co-infected primary public health-care patients in three districts in South Africa.

Inconsistent condom use among public primary care patients with tuberculosis in South Africa.

The high rate of HIV infections among tuberculosis (TB) patients in South Africa calls for urgent HIV reduction interventions in this subpopulation. While correct and consistent condom use is one of the effective means of HIV prevention among sexually active people, there is insufficient research on condom use among TB patients in South Africa. The aim of this paper was to determine the prevalence of inconsistent condom use among public primary care TB patients and its associated factors using a sample of 4900 TB patients from a cross-sectional survey in three health districts in South Africa.

Prevalence of psychological distress and associated factors in tuberculosis patients in public primary care clinics in South Africa.

Background: Psychological distress has been rarely investigated among tuberculosis patients in low-resource settings despite the fact that mental ill health has far-reaching consequences for the health outcome of tuberculosis (TB) patients. In this study, we assessed the prevalence and predictors of psychological distress as a proxy for common mental disorders among tuberculosis (TB) patients in South Africa, where over 60 % of the TB patients are co-infected with HIV.

Methods: We interviewed 4900 tuberculosis public primary care patients within one month of initiation of anti-tuberculosis treatment for the presence of psychological distress using the Kessler-10 item scale (K-10), and identified predictors of distress using multiple logistic regressions.

Quality of life among tuberculosis (TB), TB retreatment and/or TB-HIV co-infected primary public health care patients in three districts in South Africa.

Introduction: TB and HIV co-morbidity amount to a massive burden on healthcare systems in many countries. This study investigates health related quality of life among tuberculosis (TB), TB retreatment and TB-HIV co-infected public primary health care patients in three districts in South Africa.

Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among 4900 TB patients who were in the first month of anti-TB treatment in primary public health care clinics in three districts in South Africa.

Screening and brief interventions for hazardous and harmful alcohol use among patients with active tuberculosis attending primary care clinics in South Africa: a cluster randomized controlled trial protocol.

Background: In 2008 the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that South Africa had the highest tuberculosis (TB) incidence in the world. This high incidence rate is linked to a number of factors, including HIV co-infection and alcohol use disorders. The diagnosis and treatment package for TB and HIV co-infection is relatively well established in South Africa.

Lay counsellor-based risk reduction intervention with HIV positive diagnosed patients at public HIV counselling and testing sites in Mpumalanga, South Africa.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility, fidelity, and effect of a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) risk reduction intervention delivered to HIV-infected patients by lay counsellors during routine HIV counselling and testing (HCT) public service in Mpumalanga, South Africa.

Methods: A total of 488 HIV-infected patients, aged 18 years and older, receiving HCT service at clinics in Mpumalanga, received an "Options for Health" intervention delivered by clinic lay counsellors. Intervention lay counsellors implemented a brief risk reduction intervention at on average 2.

Determinants of knowledge of HIV status in South Africa: results from a population-based HIV survey.

Background: Over 30% of women and men in the South African national HIV household of 2005 indicated that they had previously been tested for HIV (of which 91% were aware of their test results). This paper seeks to describe the associations between socio-demographic, behavioural and social characteristics and knowledge of HIV status among a nationally representative population in South Africa.

Methods: A multistage probability sample involving 16395 male and female respondents, aged 15 years or older was selected.

Evaluation of alcohol screening and brief intervention in routine practice of primary care nurses in Vhembe district, South Africa.

Aim: To assess the implementation of the Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention (SBI) strategy as part of a routine practice of nurses in 18 primary health care services in Vhembe district, South Africa.

Method: We performed a cross-sectional study to assess the success of implementation of the SBI in 18 primary health care services. We examined all anonymously completed questionnaires (n=2670) collected from all practices after a 6-month implementation period.