Feasibility, Acceptability, and Preliminary Effects of a Video-Based Intervention for Smoking Cessation Among People with HIV in Kathmandu, Nepal: A Single-Armed Pilot Study.

Despite the evidence of the disproportionate burden of tobacco use among people with HIV (PWH), little effort has been made to design and test smoking cessation interventions for PWH in resource-limited countries. We assessed the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects of a video-based smoking cessation intervention consisting of eleven 3-8-minute sessions among PWH in Nepal, a lower-middle-income country. Guided by the phased-based model, our 3-month intervention focused on setting the quit date, smoking cessation, and abstinence maintenance.

Inflammation in Relation to Intensity and Duration of Cigarette Smoking Among People Living with HIV.

Both inflammation and smoking are independent predictors of morbidity and mortality among people living with HIV (PLHIV). As smoking burden is likely to exacerbate inflammation, we tested the hypothesis that higher intensity and longer duration of smoking are positively associated with C-reactive protein (CRP, an inflammatory marker) among 284 PLHIV in Kathmandu, Nepal. We measured smoking status, intensity of smoking, smoking duration, and CRP concentrations.

Perceived Family Support and Antiretroviral Adherence in HIV-Positive Individuals: Results from a Community-Based Positive Living With HIV Study.

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between perceived family support, either positive or negative, and adherence to antiretroviral medication regimens among HIV-positive individuals in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. We measured past 3-month antiretroviral adherence among 233 HIV-positive individuals, in relation to perceived family support, both positive (in terms of emotional and instrumental support) and negative (in the form of negative interactions), using the 10-item Nepali Family Support and Difficulty Scale. Medium and high levels of perceived emotional support from family were associated with reduced risk of antiretroviral nonadherence, compared with low levels of perceived emotional support (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]  = 0.

Serum Zinc Concentration and C-Reactive Protein in Individuals with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection: the Positive Living with HIV (POLH) Study.

Low zinc levels and chronic inflammation are common in individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Zinc deficiency may promote systemic inflammation, but research on the role of zinc in inflammation among HIV-positive individuals taking account of anti-retroviral therapy is lacking. We assessed the association between serum zinc and C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration in a cohort of HIV-positive individuals.

HIV service delivery models towards 'Zero AIDS-related Deaths': a collaborative case study of 6 Asia and Pacific countries.

Background: In the Asia-Pacific region, limited systematic assessment has been conducted on HIV service delivery models. Applying an analytical framework of the continuum of prevention and care, this study aimed to assess HIV service deliveries in six Asia and Pacific countries from the perspective of service availability, linking approaches and performance monitoring for maximizing HIV case detection and retention.

Methods: Each country formed a review team that provided published and unpublished information from the national HIV program.

Intention to seek professional psychological help among college students in Turkey: influence of help-seeking attitudes.

Background: Depression rates are high among college students in Turkey, but often students do not seek mental health care. This study aimed to examine the association between attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help and intention to seek professional psychological help among such college students. We also examined the factors associated with students' professional psychological help-seeking attitudes.

A call for parental monitoring to improve condom use among secondary school students in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Background: The number of people newly infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has been decreasing in sub-Saharan Africa, but prevalence of the infection remains unacceptably high among young people. Despite the alarming pervasiveness of the virus, young people in this region continue to engage in risky sexual behaviors including unprotected sexual intercourse. In developed countries, parents can play important roles in protecting young people from such behaviors, but evidence regarding the impact of parental involvement is still limited in sub-Saharan Africa.