Background: Women living with HIV (WLH) in rural communities face challenges to obtaining treatment and accurate disease-related information. Nutritional deficits exacerbate disease progression.
Setting: WLH were recruited from primary health centers in rural India.
Method: A quasi-experimental trial of a comprehensive Accredited Social Health Activist (Asha)-supported intervention compared 4 distinct Asha-based programs [(1) standard education (SE) alone; (2) nutrition education (+NE); (3) nutrition supplements (+NS); or (4) nutrition education and nutrition supplements (+NENS)] on key disease and nutrition-related outcomes [CD4 count, body mass index (BMI), serum albumin, and hemoglobin]. Assessments occurred at baseline, and months 6 (immediately after intervention), 12, and 18. Multilevel modeling examined effects of program (group) over time.
Findings: Among 600 WLH enrolled (n = 150 per arm), mean age, CD4 count, and BMI (kg/m) were 34.31, 447.42, and 20.09, respectively, at baseline. At 18-month follow-up, program 4 (+NENS) experienced greatest improvements in CD4 counts compared with program 1 (+SE) [adjusted difference = 223.81, 95% confidence interval (CI): 170.29 to 277.32]. For BMI, programs 3 (+NS; adjusted difference = 2.33, 95% CI: 1.39 to 3.26) and 4 (+NENS; adjusted difference = 2.14, 95% CI: 1.17 to 3.12) exhibited greater gains compared with program 1 (+SE). Programs 3 and 4 were not significantly different from each other (adjusted difference = -0.18, 95% CI: -1.12 to 0.76). Hemoglobin and serum albumin also improved over time; program 4 (+NENS) exhibited the greatest gains.
Conclusions: A low-cost Asha-supported behavioral and nutritional intervention improved outcomes for WLH. Gains were sustained at 18-month follow-up. Similar approaches may help improve HIV and other infectious disease-related outcomes in vulnerable populations.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6594881 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/QAI.0000000000002044 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Census Tract Rurality, Predominant Race and Ethnicity, and Distance to Lung Cancer Screening Facilities : An Ecological Study.
Ann Intern Med
January 2025
Division of Thoracic Surgery and Interventional Pulmonology, Swedish Cancer Institute, Seattle, Washington (C.L.W., A.C.W., J.A.G.).
Background: The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends annual lung cancer screening (LCS) for adults who meet specific age and smoking history criteria.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhotopsias are associated with greater levels of depression and anxiety.
Clin Exp Optom
January 2025
2nd Department of Ophthalmology, Medical School of National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 'Attikon' University General Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Clinical Relevance: Vitreous floaters have been associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms. However, there is a scarcity in the literature regarding the possible impact of vitreous flashes on the psychological status of the patients.
Background: Photopsias and vitreous floaters frequently co-exist.
Supervised Exercise for Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer: A Cost-Utility Analysis Alongside the PREFERABLE-EFFECT Randomized Controlled Trial.
J Clin Oncol
January 2025
Department of Epidemiology and Health Economics, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Purpose: To evaluate the cost utility of a 9-month supervised exercise program for patients with metastatic breast cancer (mBC), compared with control (usual care, supplemented with general activity advice and an activity tracker). Evidence on the cost-effectiveness of exercise for patients with mBC is essential for implementation in clinical practice and is currently lacking.
Methods: A cost-utility analysis was performed alongside the multinational PREFERABLE-EFFECT randomized controlled trial, conducted in 8 centers across Europe and Australia.
July effect in hospitalized cirrhosis patients: A US nationwide study using difference-in-differences analysis.
PLoS One
January 2025
Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States of America.
Background: The July effect in US teaching hospitals has been studied with conflicting results. We aimed to evaluate the effect of physician turnover in July on the clinical outcomes of patients hospitalized with cirrhosis.
Methods: We utilized the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database (2016-2019) to identify patients hospitalized with cirrhosis and liver-related complications (variceal bleeding, hepatorenal syndrome, acute-on-chronic liver failure).
Efficacy of Platelet-Rich Plasma Versus Placebo for the Treatment of Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome: A Double-Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial.
J Bone Joint Surg Am
January 2025
Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Northumberland, United Kingdom.
Background: Greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS) is a painful condition that can impair a patient's quality of life. If nonoperative measures fail, progressively more invasive treatment options may be required. This clinical trial aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of ultrasound-guided leukocyte-rich platelet-rich plasma (LR-PRP) injections in the treatment of refractory GTPS caused by bursitis and/or gluteal tendinopathy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!