Cardiovascular Disease Multimorbidity and Decreased Health-Related Quality of Life in Haiti: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Multimorbidity is increasingly prevalent in lower- and middle-income countries. Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) has been inversely associated with multimorbidity but is understudied in lower- and middle-income countries. We report cardiovascular disease (CVD) multimorbidity in Haiti and its association with HRQOL.

Physician engagement in reproductive health advocacy: findings from a mixed methods evaluation of a leadership and advocacy program.

Background: Medical curricula include advocacy competencies, but how much physicians engage in advocacy and what enables this engagement is not well characterized. The authors assessed facilitators and barriers to advocacy identified by physician alumni of a reproductive health advocacy training program.

Methods: The authors present secondary results from a mixed methods program evaluation from 2018 to 2020, using alumni data from a cross-sectional survey (n = 231) and in-depth interviews (IDIs, n = 36).

Identifying determinants of under-five child mortality in northern Togo.

Background: Although global rates of under-five mortality have declined, many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), including Togo, have not achieved sufficient progress. We aimed to identify the structural and intermediary determinants associated with under-five mortality in northern Togo.

Methods: We collected population-representative cross-sectional household surveys adapted from the Demographic Household Survey (DHS) and Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey from women of reproductive age in northern Togo in 2018.

Approaches to Research Ethics in Health Research on YouTube: Systematic Review.

Background: YouTube has become a popular source of health care information, reaching an estimated 81% of adults in 2021; approximately 35% of adults in the United States have used the internet to self-diagnose a condition. Public health researchers are therefore incorporating YouTube data into their research, but guidelines for best practices around research ethics using social media data, such as YouTube, are unclear.

Objective: This study aims to describe approaches to research ethics for public health research implemented using YouTube data.

Psychosocial Stressors and Maternal Mental Health in the U.S. During the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Analysis.

Objectives: The COVID pandemic has had widespread impacts on maternal mental health. This research aims to examine the relationship between psychosocial stressors and symptoms of depression and anxiety and the extent to which emotional support or resilient coping moderates the relationship between psychosocial stressors and maternal mental health during the first wave of the COVID pandemic.

Methods: This analysis includes data collected in October and November 2020 from a geographically and sociodemographically diverse sample of 776 mothers in the U.

Extreme Food Insecurity and Malnutrition in Haiti: Findings from a Population-Based Cohort in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Haiti is one of the most food-insecure (FIS) nations in the world, with increasing rates of overweight and obesity. This study aimed to characterize FIS among households in urban Haiti and assess the relationship between FIS and body mass index (BMI) using enrollment data from the Haiti Cardiovascular Disease Cohort Study. FIS was characterized as no/low, moderate/high, and extreme based on the Household Food Security Scale.

Prevalence of stressful life events and associations with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder among people entering care for HIV in Cameroon.

Background: Exposure to stressors increases the risk of mental health disorders. People living with HIV (PLWH) are particularly affected by poor mental health which can contribute to adverse HIV treatment outcomes.

Methods: We estimated the prevalence of recent stressful life events (modified Life Events Survey) among a cohort of PLWH entering HIV care at three public health care facilities in Cameroon and quantified the association of seven types of stressful life events with symptoms of depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 scores>9), anxiety (General Anxiety Disorder-7 scores>9), and PTSD (PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 scores>30) using separate log-binomial regression models.

Underestimation of potentially traumatic events resulting from underreporting of physical and sexual violence among people entering care for HIV in Cameroon.

Objective: Measures ascertaining exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTEs) frequently ask respondents about experienced physical and sexual violence. However, little is known about the performance of physical and sexual violence questions on PTE assessments and its effect on PTE classification overall. We estimated underreporting of physical and sexual violence on a PTE assessment among individuals entering HIV care in Cameroon.

Mental health and initiation of antiretroviral treatment at enrolment into HIV care in Cameroon under a national "treat all" policy: a cross-sectional analysis.

Introduction: Rapid antiretroviral treatment (ART) initiation reduces time from HIV infection to viral suppression, decreasing HIV transmission risk. Mental health symptoms may influence timing of ART initiation. This study estimated the prevalence of ART initiation at enrolment into HIV care and the relationship between mental health and ART initiation at enrolment into HIV care.

Depressive Symptoms, Gender, Disclosure, and HIV Care Stage Among People Living with HIV in Cameroon.

Depression is associated with suboptimal HIV care outcomes. Little is known about the extent to which the prevalence of depressive symptoms varies across the HIV care continuum. Also, the relationship among gender, HIV disclosure, HIV care stage, and depressive symptoms in PLWH remains poorly understood.

Gender, Mental Health, and Entry Into Care with Advanced HIV Among People Living with HIV in Cameroon Under a National 'Treat All' Policy.

Delays in diagnosis and linkage to HIV care persist among people living with HIV (PLWH), even after expanded access to ART worldwide. Mental health may influence timely linkage to HIV care. Greater understanding of the relationship among gender, mental health, and delayed linkage to HIV care can inform strategies to improve the health of PLWH.

Correlates of self-reported history of mental health help-seeking: a cross-sectional study among individuals with symptoms of a mental or substance use disorder initiating care for HIV in Cameroon.

Background: Mental health and substance use disorders (MSDs) increase the risk of poor human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care outcomes among people living with HIV (PLWH). Receipt of mental health care may improve these adverse outcomes. We aimed to identify correlates of prior mental health help-seeking among PLWH with symptoms of an MSD in Cameroon.

Psychological distress among a population-representative sample of residents of four slum neighborhoods in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Background: Almost one billion people live in slum environments across low- and middle-income countries. Little is known about the mental health status of slum residents or its associations with living conditions.

Methods: A cross-sectional, population-representative survey was conducted among 892 adults in four slum communities in Port-au-Prince.

MetaGxData: Clinically Annotated Breast, Ovarian and Pancreatic Cancer Datasets and their Use in Generating a Multi-Cancer Gene Signature.

A wealth of transcriptomic and clinical data on solid tumours are under-utilized due to unharmonized data storage and format. We have developed the MetaGxData package compendium, which includes manually-curated and standardized clinical, pathological, survival, and treatment metadata across breast, ovarian, and pancreatic cancer data. MetaGxData is the largest compendium of curated transcriptomic data for these cancer types to date, spanning 86 datasets and encompassing 15,249 samples.

Hypertension prevalence and risk factors among residents of four slum communities: population-representative findings from Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of hypertension and its risk factors among adults in four slum communities in Port-au-Prince.

Methods: Cluster area random sampling was used to select adults for a health and demographic survey, including anthropometric measurements. Hypertension was defined as SBP at least 140 mmHg and/or DBP at least 90 mmHg, or current hypertension treatment, and was age-standardized to WHO world population.

The Impact of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Use on Sexual Anxiety, Satisfaction, and Esteem Among Gay and Bisexual Men.

Gay and bisexual men (GBM) with heightened fears of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) acquisition have reported high levels of sexual anxiety and low sexual self-esteem. Similarly, sexual satisfaction has been reported to be lower among some GBM who rely solely on condom use as HIV prevention. We sought to explore whether pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) had an impact on the sexual satisfaction, anxiety, and esteem of GBM.

HIV Care and Viral Load Suppression After Sexual Health Clinic Visits by Out-of-Care HIV-Positive Persons.

Outcomes among people living with HIV (PLWH) in New York City (NYC) remain suboptimal. To assess the potential role of the city's sexual health clinics (SHCs) in improving HIV outcomes and reducing HIV transmission, we examined HIV care status and its correlates among HIV-positive SHC patients in NYC. Clinic electronic medical records were merged with longitudinal NYC HIV surveillance data to identify HIV-positive patients and derive their retrospective and prospective HIV care status.

Continuity of transcriptomes among colorectal cancer subtypes based on meta-analysis.

Background: Previous approaches to defining subtypes of colorectal carcinoma (CRC) and other cancers based on transcriptomes have assumed the existence of discrete subtypes. We analyze gene expression patterns of colorectal tumors from a large number of patients to test this assumption and propose an approach to identify potentially a continuum of subtypes that are present across independent studies and cohorts.

Results: We examine the assumption of discrete CRC subtypes by integrating 18 published gene expression datasets and > 3700 patients, and contrary to previous reports, find no evidence to support the existence of discrete transcriptional subtypes.

"Testing, Testing": Multiple HIV-Positive Tests among Patients Initiating Antiretroviral Therapy in Ethiopia.

Repeat HIV testing after receiving a positive result has never been studied systematically and may give insight into reasons for delayed linkage to care. Among 831 adults in 6 secondary facilities in Oromia, Ethiopia, who completed an interviewer-administered structured questionnaire within 2 weeks of initiating antiretroviral therapy in 2012 to 2013, 110 (13.2%) reported having retested after an HIV-positive result.

Brief Report: Stigma and HIV Care Continuum Outcomes Among Ethiopian Adults Initiating ART.

Background: Stigma harms the mental health of HIV-positive individuals and reduces adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART), but less is known about stigma and other outcomes across the HIV care continuum.

Methods: Among 1180 Ethiopian adults initiating ART at 6 urban HIV clinics, we examined the relationship of internalized, anticipated, and enacted stigma to HIV care-related outcomes ascertained by interview (repeat HIV-positive testing, provider vs. self-referred testing, missed clinic visit before ART initiation, eagerness to begin ART), and by abstraction of routinely collected clinical data (late ART initiation, 3-month gap in care following ART initiation).