Prevalence & Correlates of Smoking & Readiness to Quit Smoking in People Living with HIV in Austria & Germany

We aimed to investigate the prevalence and correlates of smoking in people living with HIV (PLWHIV) in Germany and Austria and their readiness to quit. 

A total of 447 consecutive patients with confirmed positive HIV status who were treated in different outpatient HIV centres in Austria and Germany were included. Nicotine dependence and stages of change were assessed by standardized questionnaires, and this was confirmed by measuring exhaled carbon monoxide. 

Prevalence of smoking was 49.4%. According to a multivariate logistic regression analysis, higher age and tertiary education level were associated with a lower chance, and occasional and daily smoking of the partner were significantly associated with a higher chance of smoking. Moderate and higher nicotine dependency level, were significantly associated with higher chance, and older age, with lower chance for readiness to quit smoking. Those results may be used to address preventive measures to quit smoking aimed at PLWHIV and the importance of addressing smoking habits.

Below:  Smoking characteristics of participants who smoke

Full article at:   http://goo.gl/q1giMg

By:  

Helmut Brath 
Health Centre South, Vienna, Austria

Igor Grabovac 

Institute of Occupational Medicine, University Clinic for Internal Medicine II, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

Horst Schalk 

Schalk-Pichler Group Practice, Vienna, Austria

Olaf Degen 

University Clinic Hamburg-Eppendorf, Outpatient Centre, Hamburg, Germany

Thomas E. Dorner 

Institute of Social Medicine, Centre for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

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Effects of Cigarette Smoking & Nicotine Dependence on Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy among HIV-Positive Patients in Vietnam

Cigarette smoking is increasingly recognized as an indicator for inferior adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) among HIV-positive patients. Given the limited body of work on this issue, we aimed to explore the relations between cigarette smoking, nicotine dependence, and ART adherence in Vietnam. 

A cross-sectional study of 1050 HIV-positive people was conducted from January to September 2013 in Hanoi (the capital) and Nam Dinh (a rural city). Adherence to ART during the last 30 days was measured by the 100-point visual analog scale (VAS). Smoking history and nicotine dependence (Fagerstrom Test of Nicotine Dependence) were self-reported by participants. 

Multiple logistic regression was performed to examine the association of current smoking and nicotine dependence with ART nonadherence. Using the established VAS cut point of 95 to indicate adequate adherence, the prevalence of ART nonadherence was 30.9%. Approximately 35.5% of the sample reported current smoking. No association between smoking status and ART nonadherence was found. However, participants with greater nicotine dependence were more likely to be nonadherent. Also, individuals who were female, receiving ART in Nam Dinh, and currently feeling anxiety had a higher likelihood of ART nonadherence. Additionally, current smokers reporting current pain were more likely to be nonadherent. Conversely, protective factors included living with a spouse/partner  and having more than a high school education. 

Given the high prevalence of suboptimal adherence and current smoking among HIV-positive patients, screening for smoking status and nicotine dependence during ART treatment may help to improve patients' adherence to medication. More efforts should be targeted to women, patients with mental health problems, and ART clinics in rural areas.

Purchase full article at: http://goo.gl/y4Avqt

By: Nguyen NT1, Tran BX2,3, Hwang LY4, Markham CM4, Swartz MD4, Vidrine JI5, Phan HT6, Latkin CA3, Vidrine DJ5.

• 1a Department of Pharmacoeconomics & Pharmacoepidemiology , Hanoi University of Pharmacy , Hanoi , Vietnam.
• 2b Institute for Preventive Medicine and Public Health , Hanoi Medical University , Hanoi , Vietnam.
• 3c Department of Health, Behavior and Society , Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health , Baltimore , MD , USA.
• 4d The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston , Houston , TX , USA.
• 5e Department of Family and Preventive Medicine , The University of Oklahoma Health Science Center , Oklahoma City , OK , USA.
• 6f Authority of HIV/AIDS Control, Ministry of Health , Hanoi , Vietnam.  

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