Publications by authors named "Maria Jose Belza"

Background And Objectives: Despite alcohol use being very common in older adults, studies are scarce and suggest alcohol use may be increasing. Furthermore, despite the known relationship between education and alcohol consumption, there is limited evidence of educational differences in older adults. Our objective was to describe trends in alcohol consumption in individuals aged ≥65 by sex and educational level in Spain.

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  • Chemsex is identified as a significant behavior among sexual minority men (SMM) in Spain, with 21.1% having engaged in such sessions during their lifetime.
  • Factors influencing chemsex participation include being a migrant, financial instability, openly living one's sexuality, residing in larger cities, older age, steroid use, and living with HIV.
  • The study also categorizes chemsex sessions into three typologies based on risk levels, highlighting that 23.2% of participants engaged in higher-risk sessions, which were correlated with specific sociodemographic traits.
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Introduction: Data on the increase in mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic based on individuals' socioeconomic positions are limited. This study examines this increase in mortality in Spain during the epidemic waves of 2020 and 2021.

Methods: We calculated the overall and cause-specific mortality rates during the 2017-2019 pre-pandemic period and four epidemic periods in 2020 and 2021 (first, second, third-fourth, and fifth-sixth waves).

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Background: There is little information on the differential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mortality by occupation. The objective was to examine changes in mortality during the COVID-19 period compared with the prepandemic period in different occupational groups in Spain.

Methods: Average mortality in the entire period 2020-2021, and each of its semesters, was compared, respectively, with the average mortality in the entire period 2017-2019, and the corresponding semester (first or second) of this last period, across occupational skill levels.

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Objective: The objective of this work was to study mortality increase in Spain during the first and second academic semesters of 2020, coinciding with the first 2 waves of the Covid-19 pandemic; by sex, age, and education.

Methods: An observational study was carried out, using linked populations and deaths' data from 2017 to 2020. The mortality rates from all causes and leading causes other than Covid-19 during each semester of 2020, compared to the 2017-2019 averages for the same semester, was also estimated.

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Estimating occupational disparity in heavy drinking jointly for weekdays and the weekend may be misleading for prevention purposes, because reasons for disparity in both periods may differ. The main objective was to assess occupational disparity in heavy average drinking (HAD) by week period and sex. 42,108 employees aged 16-64 were recruited from national surveys in Spain between 2011 and 2020.

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High uptake of HIV and hepatitis C (HCV) testing in Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) is needed to interrupt transmission. The objective was to identify subgroups with increased probability of lack of testing among HIV-negative GBMSM in Spain. Cross-sectional study including 3486 HIV-negative GBMSM attending prevention facilities in Madrid and Barcelona, 2018-2020.

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Objectives: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been recognized as a sexually transmitted infection (STI) in HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM), with an increased notification in HIV-negative MSM. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of HCV antibody and active HCV infection in HIV-negative gay, bisexual, and other MSM (GBMSM), and their characteristics, in Barcelona and Madrid, from March 2018 to March 2021.

Methods: Cross-sectional study conducted on 3548 HIV-undiagnosed GBMSM, across four HIV/STI testing centers.

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Introduction: Patients seeking first time treatment for opioid consumption reflect the characteristics of the consumer population. This group has not been studied in Spain in decades. The objective of this study was to characterize the opioid user population seeking first time treatment (incidents) and compare them group with those with prior treatment (prevalents).

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Background: In 2015, hepatitis C treatment with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) became free and widespread in Spain, significantly reducing hepatitis C-related mortality. However, health interventions can sometimes widen health inequalities. The objective of this study is to assess the impact of DAA treatment on hepatitis C-related mortality by educational level.

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This original study compares the prevalences of drug use for any purpose and for sexualized drug use (SDU) among MSM. It also describes relevant characteristics of first SDU, analyzes to what extent SDU has been the first experience (the gateway) with different drugs by age and explores the correlates of SDU. Study participants included 2,919 HIV-negative MSM attending four HIV/STI diagnosis services in Madrid and Barcelona.

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Background: US and Northern European studies have found a higher prevalence of alcohol-related problems among men who have sex with men (MSM) than among the general population of men (GPM). However, most of them relied on traditional sampling methods, not profiting from MSM dating apps and websites for recruitment. Besides, analogous comparisons in Southern Europe are lacking.

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Objectives: HIV self-testing has been available in Spain since 2017 as a diagnostic tool to promote earlier diagnosis. We aimed to assess awareness and previous use of HIV self-testing in a sample of men who have sex with men (MSM) recruited online more than 2 years after its legal authorization in Spain.

Methods: We analyzed 5,492 MSM recruited between May and July 2020 in gay dating apps/websites and other social networks.

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  • * A benchmark-multiplier methodology was used, relying on overdose death statistics to calculate the PROU population size and demonstrating a notable decline over the years.
  • * By 2019, PROU was estimated at 2.60 per 1000 people, a 45% drop from 2005, but the slowing decline raises concerns about potential risks, especially considering the ongoing opioid crisis in North America.
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  • * Findings showed that higher education was linked to lower chances of heavy drinking and higher likelihood of moderate consumption, particularly among men, while women showed similar patterns but steeper gradients in HED during the latter part of the study period.
  • * Despite accounting for factors like income and occupation, educational inequalities in alcohol-related harm persisted, highlighting the need for targeted preventive measures to address these disparities.
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This study assessed the knowledge and prior use of HIV self-testing in a sample of men who have sex with men (MSM) recruited in a sexual health clinic and two community-based testing sites in Madrid and Barcelona, >12 months after its legal authorization. Between March 2019 and December 2020, we recruited 2044 MSM. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire while waiting to be tested for HIV and other STIs.

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This study compares the prevalence of drug use and the typologies of polydrug use (PDU) in men who have sex with men (MSM) and general population men (GPM). Participants were men aged 16-64, living in the provinces of Madrid and Barcelona: 1720 were recruited in a GPM survey, and 2658 were HIV-negative MSM from HIV/STIs diagnosis services. Lifetime and last-year prevalence of drug use and prevalence ratios (PRs) of MSM to GPM for the different drugs were calculated using Poisson regression.

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This study describes the prevalence of anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) injection, their main correlates, and the prevalence of specific AAS injection risk behaviours among men who have sex with men (MSM), an area insufficiently addressed in scientific research. Participants were HIV-negative MSM attending four HIV/STI diagnosis services: two clinics and two community programmes in Madrid and Barcelona. Participants answered an online self-administered questionnaire.

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Background: We estimate the prevalence of drug injection, the variables associated with having ever injected and the proportion of ever injectors whose first drug injection was for having sex; we describe the first drug injection episode, analyze the drugs most frequently injected and estimate the prevalence of risky injecting behaviors.

Methods: The participants were 3387 MSM without a previous HIV diagnosis attending four HIV/STI diagnosis services in Madrid and Barcelona. Lifetime prevalence and prevalence ratios (PRs) by different factors were calculated using Poisson regression models with robust variance.

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There are no recent estimates of alcohol-attributable mortality in Spain with Spanish alcohol consumption data. The objective is to estimate it and know its evolution between 2001 and 2017 in people ≥15 years, according to sex, age, period, cause of death and type of drinker. The cause-specific approach and Levin's equation were used.

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We analyzed men who have sex with men (MSM) from Denmark, Germany, Greece, Portugal and Spain to identify who would choose HIV self-testing as their preferred testing method and assessed their preferred setting to acquire a self-testing kit and to confirm a reactive result. In 2016, we recruited an online sample of 3725 HIV-negative MSM. We used Poisson regression to identify factors associated with choosing self-testing as the preferred testing option.

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We assessed previous knowledge about the existence of HIV self-testing of stakeholders in Spain, as well as their personal position towards this methodology. We also assessed their views on potential users' (PU) opinions towards several key operational aspects surrounding self-testing, and compared them to those expressed by a sample of PU comprised of men who have sex with men. In 2017, we recruited three types of stakeholders: public health professionals and policy makers (PHPPM) ( = 33), clinical providers ( = 290) and community-based/non-governmental organization (CBO/NGO) workers ( = 55).

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We analysed patterns of sexualized drug use (SDU) and pinpointed the one with the highest risk for the acquisition/transmission of HIV/Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) in a sample of men who have sex with men (MSM) residing in Spain. Additionally, we also identified the most affected subpopulations by highest risk SDU pattern. In 2016, we promoted an online survey in gay dating apps.

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Background: Late HIV diagnosis remains frequent among the gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) population across Europe. HIV self-sampling could help remove barriers and facilitate access to testing for this high-risk population.

Objective: We assessed the capacity of HIV self-sampling to increase the testing frequency among GBMSM living in Denmark, Germany, Greece, Portugal, Romania, and Spain, and evaluated the role of new technologies in the result communication phase.

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