Engaging Food Insecure Families on the Weekend to Improve Nutrition and Health.

Background: The school meals program provides food during the week, but there is limited evidence on how to address the needs of families with food insecurity (FI) on the weekend.

Objectives: We conducted a prospective mixed methods pilot study to evaluate the potential effect of a community-based program that delivers free meals to children and fresh produce to their families at different sites on weekends combined with cooking classes.

Methods: We recruited 41 parent-child dyads from the neighborhood where a new delivery site opened.

Acceptability and Feasibility of Real-Time Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence Interventions in Rural Uganda: Mixed-Method Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Wireless electronic adherence monitors can detect antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence lapses and trigger interventions in real time, thus potentially avoiding unnecessary HIV viremia. Evidence about the acceptability and feasibility of these monitors and associated interventions, however, is limited.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the acceptability and feasibility of real-time adherence monitoring linked to text messaging (short message service, SMS) reminders and notifications to support adherence among individuals living with HIV who are taking ART in rural southwestern Uganda.

The Meanings in the messages: how SMS reminders and real-time adherence monitoring improve antiretroviral therapy adherence in rural Uganda.

Objective: To understand how a pilot intervention combining SMS reminders with real-time adherence monitoring improved adherence to HIV antiretroviral therapy (ART) for adults initiating treatment in rural Uganda.

Design: Qualitative study, conducted with a pilot randomized controlled trial.

Methods: Sixty-two pilot intervention study participants took part in qualitative interviews on: preferences for content; frequency and timing of SMS adherence reminders; understandings and experiences of SMS reminders; and understandings and experiences of real-time adherence monitoring.

Maternal Caffeine Consumption during Pregnancy and Risk of Low Birth Weight: A Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies.

Epidemiologic studies have shown inconsistent conclusions about the effect of caffeine intake during pregnancy on the risk of low birth weight (LBW). We performed a meta-analysis and linear-dose response analysis examining the association between caffeine consumption during pregnancy and risk of LBW. PubMed and EMBASE were searched for relevant articles published up to March 2014.

Disclosure of HIV serostatus among pregnant and postpartum women in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review.

Disclosure of one's HIV status can help to improve uptake and retention in prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV services; yet, it remains a challenge for many women. This systematic review evaluates disclosure rates among pregnant and postpartum women in sub-Saharan Africa, timing of disclosure, and factors affecting decisions to disclose. PubMed and EMBASE databases were searched to identify relevant studies published between January 2000 and April 2014.

Linkage, initiation and retention of children in the antiretroviral therapy cascade: an overview.

In 2012, there were an estimated 2 million children in need of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in the world, but ART is still reaching fewer than 3 in 10 children in need of treatment. [1, 7] As more HIV-infected children are identified early and universal treatment is initiated in children under 5 regardless of CD4, the success of pediatric HIV programs will depend on our ability to link children into care and treatment programs, and retain them in those services over time. In this review, we summarize key individual, institutional, and systems barriers to diagnosing children with HIV, linking them to care and treatment, and reducing loss to follow-up (LTFU).