Water Treatment Practices and Misperceived Social Norms among Women Living with Young Children in Rural Uganda.

Access to water safe for consumption is critical for health and well-being, yet substantial structural barriers often necessitate household action to make water safer. Social norms about water treatment practices are understudied as a driver of personal water treatment practice. This study assesses reported and perceived water treatment practices among women in a rural, water insecure setting.

Caregiver preferences for physically harsh discipline of children in rural Uganda.

Purpose: Physically harsh discipline is associated with poor developmental outcomes among children. These practices are more prevalent in areas experiencing poverty and resource scarcity, including in low- and middle-income countries. Designed to limit social desirability bias, this cross-sectional study in rural Uganda estimated caregiver preferences for physically harsh discipline; differences by caregiver sex, child sex, and setting; and associations with indicators of household economic stress and insecurity.

Misperception of Norms About Intimate Partner Violence as a Driver of Personal IPV Attitudes and Perpetration: A Population-Based Study of Men in Rural Uganda.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) against women is a global public health problem. Conceptual frameworks suggest misperceived norms around IPV might drive perpetration of violence against women in southern and eastern Africa. We conducted a cross-sectional, population-based survey of all men residing in a rural parish in southwest Uganda, eliciting their endorsement of IPV in five hypothetical scenarios and their reported frequency of perpetration of violence against their wife/main partner.

Male circumcision uptake and misperceived norms about male circumcision: Cross-sectional, population-based study in rural Uganda.

Background: Over the past decade, 15 high-priority countries in eastern and southern Africa have promoted voluntary medical male circumcision for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention. The prevalence of male circumcision in Uganda nearly doubled from 26% in 2011 to 43% in 2016, but remains below the 2020 target level. Little is known about how common male circumcision is perceived to be, how accurate such perceptions are, and whether they are associated with men's own circumcision uptake.

Maternal adverse childhood experiences, child mental health, and the mediating effect of maternal depression: A cross-sectional, population-based study in rural, southwestern Uganda.

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the intergenerational effects of maternal adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and child mental health outcomes in rural Uganda, as well as the potentially mediating role of maternal depression in this pathway. Additionally, we sought to test the extent to which maternal social group membership attenuated the mediating effect of maternal depression on child mental health.

Methods: Data come from a population-based cohort of families living in the Nyakabare Parish, a rural district in southwestern Uganda.

Perceived norms about male circumcision and personal circumcision status: a cross-sectional, population-based study in rural Uganda.

Introduction: Over the past decade, 15 high-priority countries in eastern and southern Africa have promoted voluntary medical male circucmsion for HIV and STI prevention. Despite male circumcision prevalence in Uganda nearly doubling from 26% in 2011 to 43% in 2016, it remained below the target level by 2020. Little is known about perceived norms of male circumcision and their association with circumcision uptake among men.

Adverse childhood experiences, alcohol consumption, and the modifying role of social participation: population-based study of adults in southwestern Uganda.

Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) include multiple forms of child maltreatment, including abuse and neglect, as well as other forms of household dysfunction. Studies from Uganda have revealed a high prevalence of child abuse, as well as one of the highest levels of alcohol consumption in Africa. Few population-based studies from Africa have estimated associations between ACEs and adult alcohol use, or assessed the potential buffering effects of social participation.

Men missing from the HIV care continuum in sub-Saharan Africa: a meta-analysis and meta-synthesis.

Introduction: Men are missing along the HIV care continuum. However, the estimated proportions of men in sub-Saharan Africa meeting the UNAIDS 95-95-95 goals vary substantially between studies. We sought to estimate proportions of men meeting each of the 95-95-95 goals across studies in sub-Saharan Africa, describe heterogeneity, and summarize qualitative evidence on factors influencing care engagement.

Perceptions About Local ART Adherence Norms and Personal Adherence Behavior Among Adults Living with HIV in Rural Uganda.

Although misperceived norms often drive personal health behaviors, we do not know about this phenomenon in the context of antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence. We conducted a cross-sectional study including all persons living with HIV (PLWH) on ART across eight villages in one parish in a rural region of southwestern Uganda. We used surveys to measure personal reports of ART adherence (not missing any doses of ART in the past 7 days was considered optimal adherence whereas missing doses was considered suboptimal adherence) and perceived norms about the local ART adherence norm (whether or not each individual thought 'most other PLWH on ART in this parish' missed any doses in the past 7 days).

Implementing community-based human papillomavirus self-sampling with SMS text follow-up for cervical cancer screening in rural, southwestern Uganda.

Background: Self-collected HPV screening may improve cervical cancer screening coverage in low resource countries, yet data guiding implementation and follow-up of abnormal results are sparse.

Methods: This is a prospective cohort implementation study of HPV self-testing program in Mbarara, Uganda with mobile phones to facilitate result notification and referral for treatment at a regional hospital. The effectiveness of the interventions was analyzed using Proctor's model of implementation.

Lung function and atherosclerosis: a cross-sectional study of multimorbidity in rural Uganda.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of global mortality. In high-income settings, the presence of cardiovascular disease among people with COPD increases mortality and complicates longitudinal disease management. An estimated 26 million people are living with COPD in sub-Saharan Africa, where risk factors for co-occurring pulmonary and cardiovascular disease may differ from high-income settings but remain uncharacterized.

Cigarette smoking and misperceived norms among adults in rural Uganda: a population-based study.

Background: Little is known about perceived norms about cigarette smoking in Uganda or the extent to which perceptions drive personal cigarette smoking behaviour.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in 2016-2018 that targeted all adults who resided within eight villages in Rwampara District, southwestern Uganda. Personal cigarette smoking frequency was elicited by self-report.

Perceived and misperceived norms about khat and/or cannabis use among adults in southwest Uganda.

Background: Studies from high-income contexts have found evidence that norms about substance use are misperceived. The accuracy of perceived norms about khat and cannabis use in Uganda have not previously been described.

Methods: We conducted a population-based study targeting all resident adults across eight villages in southwestern Uganda.

Normative vs personal attitudes toward persons with HIV, and the mediating role of perceived HIV stigma in rural Uganda.

Background: HIV stigma has well-documented negative impacts on HIV testing, transmission risk behavior, initiation of and adherence to antiretroviral therapy, and retention in care. We sought to assess the extent to which anticipated HIV stigma is based on misperceptions of normative attitudes toward persons with HIV, and to determine whether persons with HIV have stronger misperceptions compared with HIV-negative persons or persons of unknown serostatus. We also sought to estimate the association between normative attitudes about persons with HIV and personal attitudes about persons with HIV, and to determine the extent to which anticipated stigma mediates this association.

Adverse childhood experiences and adult cardiometabolic risk factors and disease outcomes: Cross-sectional, population-based study of adults in rural Uganda.

Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) pose a major threat to public health in sub-Saharan African communities, where the burden of these classes of illnesses is expected to double by 2030. Growing research suggests that past developmental experiences and early life conditions may also elevate CVD risk throughout the life course. Greater childhood stress and adversity are consistently associated with a range of adult CVDs and associated risk factors, yet little research exists on the long-term effects of early life stress on adult physical health outcomes, especially CVD risk, in sub-Saharan African contexts.

Ease of marital communication and depressive symptom severity among men and women in rural Uganda: cross-sectional, whole-population study.

Purpose: Depression is a major contributor to the global burden of disease. The extent to which marital communication may influence depression in contexts with little mental health support is unknown.

Methods: We conducted a whole-population study of married adult residents of eight villages in a rural region of southwestern Uganda.

Correlates of attendance at community engagement meetings held in advance of bio-behavioral research studies: A longitudinal, sociocentric social network study in rural Uganda.

Background: Community engagement is central to the conduct of health-related research studies as a way to determine priorities, inform study design and implementation, increase recruitment and retention, build relationships, and ensure that research meets the goals of the community. Community sensitization meetings, a form of community engagement, are often held prior to the initiation of research studies to provide information about upcoming study activities and resolve concerns in consultation with potential participants. This study estimated demographic, health, economic, and social network correlates of attendance at community sensitization meetings held in advance of a whole-population, combined behavioral, and biomedical research study in rural Uganda.

Overestimation of alcohol consumption norms as a driver of alcohol consumption: a whole-population network study of men across eight villages in rural, southwestern Uganda.

Background And Aims: Little is known about how perceived norms about alcohol consumption may influence high alcohol consumption rates in Uganda. This study estimated the accuracy of perceived norms about men's alcohol consumption and estimated the association between perceived norms and personal alcohol consumption.

Design: Cross-sectional, whole-population, sociocentric social network study.

Treated HIV Infection and Progression of Carotid Atherosclerosis in Rural Uganda: A Prospective Observational Cohort Study.

Background Although ≈70% of the world's population of people living with HIV reside in sub-Saharan Africa, there are minimal prospective data on the contributions of HIV infection to atherosclerosis in the region. Methods and Results We conducted a prospective observational cohort study of people living with HIV on antiretroviral therapy >40 years of age in rural Uganda, along with population-based comparators not infected with HIV. We collected data on cardiovascular disease risk factors and carotid ultrasound measurements annually.

Correction: Gut carriage of antimicrobial resistance genes in women exposed to small-scale poultry farms in rural Uganda: A feasibility study.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Gut carriage of antimicrobial resistance genes in women exposed to small-scale poultry farms in rural Uganda: A feasibility study.

Background: Antibiotic use for livestock is presumed to be a contributor to the acquisition of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes in humans, yet studies do not capture AMR data before and after livestock introduction.

Methods: We performed a feasibility study by recruiting a subset of women in a delayed-start randomized controlled trial of small-scale chicken farming to examine the prevalence of clinically-relevant AMR genes. Stool samples were obtained at baseline and one year post-randomization from five intervention women who received chickens at the start of the study, six control women who did not receive chickens until the end of the study, and from chickens provided to the control group at the end of the study.

Do household asset wealth measurements depend on who is surveyed? Asset reporting concordance within multi-adult households in rural Uganda.

Background: In resource-limited settings, the Filmer & Pritchett asset index is frequently used to measure household economic status. Little is known about how its validity is affected by differential reporting or recall within households.

Methods: As part of a whole-population survey in a rural region of southwestern Uganda, we elicited household asset information from married dyads (404 men and 404 matched women) residing within the same households.

"When you have no water, it means you have no peace": A mixed-methods, whole-population study of water insecurity and depression in rural Uganda.

Background: Lack of access to clean water has well known implications for communicable disease risks, but the broader construct of water insecurity is little studied, and its mental health impacts are even less well understood.

Methods And Findings: We conducted a mixed-methods, whole-population study in rural Uganda to estimate the association between water insecurity and depression symptom severity, and to identify the mechanisms underlying the observed association. The whole-population sample included 1776 adults (response rate, 91.