Faculty Bibliography

BACKGROUND AND AIMS/OBJECTIVE:While substance use can lead to incarceration, the disruptive effects of incarceration may lead to, or increase psychosocial vulnerability and substance use. Using causal inference methods, we measured longitudinal associations between incarceration and post-release substance use among Black men who have sex with men (BMSM), populations facing disproportionate risk of incarceration and substance use. METHODS:Using data from the HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN 061) study (N = 1553) we estimated associations between past 6-month incarceration and binge drinking, marijuana use, and stimulant use post release (at 12-month follow-up visit). Adjusted models used inverse probability weighting (IPW) to control for baseline (pre-incarceration) substance use and additional risk factors. RESULTS:There were 1133 participants present at the twelve-month follow-up visit. Participants were predominately non-Hispanic Blacks and unemployed. At baseline, 60.1 % reported a lifetime history of incarceration, 22.9 % were HIV positive and 13.7 % had a history of an STI infection. A total of 43 % reported a history of depression. In adjusted analyses with IPW, recent incarceration was associated with crack-cocaine (adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 1.53, 95 % confidence interval (CI): 1.03, 2.23) and methamphetamine use (AOR: 1.52, 95 % CI: 0.94-2.45). Controlling for pre-incarceration binge drinking, incarceration was associated with post-release binge drinking (AOR: 1.47, 95 % CI: 1.05, 2.04); in fully adjusted models the AOR was 1.14 (95 % CI: 0.81, 1.62). Incarceration was not associated with marijuana use. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:Findings underscore the need to provide substance use treatment in custody and post-release, and to consider alternatives to incarceration for substance using populations.

BACKGROUND:Maintaining adherence to antiretroviral therapy is a significant challenge for HIV-infected racial and ethnic minority adolescents and young adults (youth). Given the consequences of suboptimal antiretroviral therapy adherence, there is a pressing need for an expanded understanding of adherence behavior in this cohort. OBJECTIVES/OBJECTIVE:As part of an exploratory sequential, mixed-methods study, we used qualitative inquiry to explore adherence information, motivation, and behavioral skills among HIV-infected racial and ethnic minority youth. Our secondary aim was to gain an understanding of the contextual factors surrounding adherence behavior. METHODS:The information-motivation-behavioral skills model was applied to identify the conceptual determinants of adherence behavior in our target population, along with attention to emergent themes. In-depth, individual, semistructured interviews including open-ended questions with probes were conducted with a convenience sample of HIV-infected racial and ethnic minority youth receiving antiretroviral therapy and with evidence of virologic failure (i.e., detectable HIV viral load). New participants were interviewed until information redundancy was reached. Qualitative interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim, and with directed content analysis to generate categories and broad themes. Coding was initially conceptually driven and shifted to a data-driven approach, allowing for the discovery of key contextual factors that influence adherence behavior in this population. Methodological rigor was ensured by member checks, an audit trail, thick descriptive data, and triangulation of data sources. RESULTS:Twenty racial and ethnic minority participants completed interviews. We found adherence information was understood in relation to HIV biomarkers; adherence motivation and behavioral skills were influenced by stigma and social context. We identified five primary themes regarding antiretroviral therapy self-management: (1) emerging adulthood with a chronic illness; (2) stigma and disclosure concerns; (3) support systems and support deficits; (4) mental and behavioral health risks and challenges; and (5) mode of HIV transmission and perceptions of power and control. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONS:Key constructs of the information-motivation- behavioral model were applicable to participating HIV-infected youth, yet did not fully explain the essence of adherence behavior. As such, we recommend expansion of current adherence models and frameworks to include known contextual factors associated with antiretroviral therapy self-management among HIV-infected racial and ethnic minority youth.

OBJECTIVES/OBJECTIVE:In this study, we evaluate the efficacy of Families Talking Together (FTT), a triadic intervention to reduce adolescent sexual risk behavior. METHODS:Adolescents aged 11 to 14 and their female caregivers were recruited from a pediatric clinic; 900 families were enrolled; 84 declined. Families were randomly assigned to FTT or 1 of 2 control conditions. The FTT triadic intervention consisted of a 45-minute face-to-face session for mothers, health care provider endorsement of intervention content, printed materials for families, and a booster call for mothers. The primary outcomes were ever having had vaginal intercourse, sexual debut within the past 12 months, and condom use at last sexual intercourse. Assessments occurred at baseline, 3 months post baseline, and 12 months post baseline. RESULTS:< .05). CONCLUSIONS:This research suggests that the FTT triadic intervention is efficacious in delaying sexual debut and reducing sexual risk behavior among adolescents.

INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND:Practice facilitation is a promising practice transformation strategy, but further examination of its effectiveness in improving adoption of guidelines for multiple cardiovascular disease risk factors is needed. The objective of the study is to determine whether practice facilitation is effective in increasing the proportion of patients meeting the Million Hearts ABCS outcomes: (A) aspirin when indicated, (B) blood pressure control, (C) cholesterol management, and (S) smoking screening and cessation intervention. DESIGN/METHODS:The study used a stepped-wedge cluster RCT design with 4 intervention waves. Data were extracted for 13 quarters between January 1, 2015 and March 31, 2018, which encompassed the control, intervention, and follow-up periods for all waves, and analyzed in 2019. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS/METHODS:A total of 257 small independent primary care practices in New York City were randomized into 1 of 4 waves. INTERVENTION/METHODS:The intervention consisted of practice facilitators conducting at least 13 practice visits over 1 year, focused on capacity building and implementing system and workflow changes to meet cardiovascular disease care guidelines. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES/METHODS:The main outcomes were the Million Hearts' ABCS measures. Two additional measures were created: (1) proportion of tobacco users who received a cessation intervention (smokers counseled) and (2) a composite measure that assessed the proportion of patients meeting treatment targets for A, B, and C (ABC composite). RESULTS:The S measure improved when comparing follow-up with the control period (incidence rate ratio=1.152, 95% CI=1.072, 1.238, p<0.001) and when comparing follow-up with intervention (incidence rate ratio=1.060, 95% CI=1.013, 1.109, p=0.007). Smokers counseled improved when comparing the intervention period with control (incidence rate ratio=1.121, 95% CI=1.037, 1.211, p=0.002). CONCLUSIONS:Increasing the impact of practice facilitation programs that target multiple risk factors may require a longer, more intense intervention and greater attention to external policy and practice context. TRIAL REGISTRATION/BACKGROUND:This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT02646488.

BACKGROUND:Despite the large body of literature evaluating interventions to improve hypertension management, few studies have addressed seasonal variation in blood pressure (BP) control. This underreported phenomenon has implications for interpreting study findings and informing clinical care. We share a methodology that accounts for BP seasonality, presented through a case study - HealthyHearts NYC, an intervention aimed at increasing adherence to the Million Hearts BP control evidence-based guidelines in primary care practices. METHODS:We used a randomized stepped-wedge design (n = 257 practices). Each intervention included 13 visits from practice facilitators trained in improving practice-level BP control over 12 months. Two models were used to assess the intervention effect-one that did not account for seasonality (Model 1) and one that did (Model 2). Model 2 was a re-specification of Model 1 to include our proposed two fixed-effects terms to address BP seasonality. RESULTS:Model 1 showed a significant negative association between the intervention and BP control (IRR=0.98, 95% CI=0.96-0.99, p=<.05). In contrast, Model 2, which did address seasonality, showed no intervention effect on BP control (IRR = 0.99, 95% CI=0.97-1.01, p=.19). CONCLUSIONS:These findings reveal that analyses that do not account for BP seasonality may not present an accurate picture of intervention effects. In our case study, accounting for BP seasonality turned a negative association into a null association. We recommend that when evaluating BP control, studies compare outcome measures across similar seasons and that the measurement period last long enough to account for seasonal effects. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER/BACKGROUND:NCT02646488.

More than 10 years after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended routine HIV testing for patients in emergency departments (ED) and other clinical settings, as many as three out of four patients may not be offered testing, and those who are offered testing frequently decline. The current study examines how participant characteristics, including demographics and reported substance use, influence the efficacy of a video-based intervention designed to increase HIV testing among ED patients who initially declined tests offered by hospital staff. Data from three separate trials in a high volume New York City ED were merged to determine whether patients (N = 560) were more likely to test post-intervention if: (1) they resembled people who appeared onscreen in terms of gender or race; or (2) they reported problem substance use. Chi Square and logistic regression analyses indicated demographic concordance did not significantly increase likelihood of accepting an HIV test. However, participants who reported problem substance use (n = 231) were significantly more likely to test for HIV in comparison to participants who reported either no problem substance use (n = 190) or no substance use at all (n = 125) (x²â€‰= 6.830, p < 0.05). Specifically, 36.4% of patients who reported problem substance use tested for HIV post-intervention compared to 30.5% of patients who did not report problem substance use and 28.8% of participants who did not report substance use at all. This may be an important finding because substance use, including heavy alcohol or cannabis use, can lead to behaviors that increase HIV risk, such as sex with multiple partners or decreased condom use.

BACKGROUND:Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is the most prevalent blood-borne infection and causes more deaths than any other infectious disease in the US. Incident HCV infection in the US increased nearly 300 % between 2010 and 2015, Community viral load (CVL) measures have been developed for HIV to measure both transmission risk and treatment engagement in programs or areas. OBJECTIVE:This paper presents a systematic review exploring the published literature on CVL constructs applied to HCV epidemiology and proposes novel CVL measures for HCV. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING/METHODS:A systematic review was conducted of electronic databases; the search sought to identify published literature on HCV which discussed or applied CVL measures to HCV epidemiology. Novel CVL measures were constructed to apply to HCV. RESULTS:No reports examining quantitative measures of HCV CVL were identified. Using the HIV CVL literature and the specific characteristics of HCV epidemiology, five HCV CVL measures are proposed. Narrower measures focusing on those engaged-in-care may be useful for program evaluation and broader measures including undiagnosed people may be useful for surveillance of HCV transmission potential. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:Despite their potential value, CVL constructs have not yet formally been developed and applied to HCV epidemiology. The CVL measures proposed here could serve as valuable HCV program and surveillance measures. There is a need for informative surveillance measures to enhance policy and public health responses to achieve HCV control. Further study of these proposed HCV CVL measures to HCV epidemiology is warranted.

Background/UNASSIGNED:Ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine [MDMA]), commonly referred to as Molly in the US, is commonly adulterated with drugs potentially more dangerous than MDMA. Synthetic cathinones ("bath salts") are common adulterants, and use of these compounds tends to be stigmatized. We investigated whether presenting information on the extent of ecstasy being adulterated with "bath salts" affects intentions to use. Methods/UNASSIGNED:A total of 1,025 adults entering electronic dance music parties were surveyed in 2018. Using an experimental posttest-only design with random assignment, half were randomly assigned to view a published Vice headline about ecstasy/Molly commonly being adulterated with "bath salts." Results/UNASSIGNED:= .030) of past-year ecstasy users' intention to test their ecstasy for adulterants. Conclusions/UNASSIGNED:Knowledge that ecstasy is commonly adulterated may help reduce the risk for future use among non-recent users and increase the willingness of users to test their ecstasy. This information can be used to target those at risk for ecstasy/Molly use.

BACKGROUND:To better understand overdose (OD) risk and develop tailored overdose risk interventions, we surveyed 234 opioid-using veterans residing in New York City, 2014-2017. Our aim was to better understand how predictors of OD may be associated with physical and mental health challenges, including pain severity and interference, depression and suicidal ideation over time. METHODS:Veterans completed monthly assessments of the Overdose Risk Behavior Scale (ORBS), pain severity and interference, suicidal ideation, and depression for up to two years and were assessed an average of 14 times over 611 days. To estimate between-person and within-person associations between time-varying covariates and opioid risk behavior, mixed-effects regression was used on the 145-person subsample of veterans completing the baseline and at least three follow-up assessments. RESULTS:The level of each time-varying covariate at the average of study time (between-person effect) was positively related to ORBS for pain severity and interference, suicidal ideation, and depression. Deviations from individuals' personal trajectories (within-person effect) were positively related to ORBS for pain severity and interference, suicidal ideation, and depression. CONCLUSIONS:US military veterans endure physical and mental health challenges elevating risk for opioid-related overdose. When pain severity, pain interference, suicidal ideation and depression were higher than usual, opioid risk behavior was higher. Conversely, when these health issues were less of a problem than usual, opioid risk behavior was lower. Assessing the physical and mental health of opioid-using veterans over time may support the development and implementation of interventions to reduce behaviors that increase the likelihood of overdose.

BACKGROUND:Sub-Saharan Africa has a large population of people with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, yet little is known about HCV among people who inject drugs this region. We assessed the prevalence of HCV mono-infection and HIV-HCV co-infection, and the estimated incidence, genotypes, and risk behaviours associated with HCV among people who inject drugs in Kenya. METHODS:People aged 18 years or older who were living in Nairobi, coastal Kenya, or western Kenya, had a history of injection drug use, and had used any illicit drugs in the past 12 months were recruited at needle and syringe programme sites using respondent-driven sampling. Participants were screened for the presence of an anti-HCV antibody. Those who were anti-HCV positive underwent confirmatory HCV RNA testing, and those with detectable HCV RNA were genotyped. Participants were interviewed regarding parenteral risk behaviours and exposure to services received at the needle and syringe programme sites. We examined correlates of HCV infection and HIV-HCV co-infection using bivariate and multivariate regression, and estimated HCV incidence. FINDINGS/RESULTS:Of 2188 enrolled participants, 291 (13%) were anti-HCV positive: 183 (22%) of 842 participants in coastal Kenya, 105 (13%) of 817 in Nairobi, and three (1%) of 529 in western Kenya. 284 anti-HCV-positive participants underwent successful HCV RNA testing, of whom 230 (81%) were viraemic. Estimated incidence rates of anti-HCV positivity per 100 person-years were 6·31 in coastal Kenya, 3·19 in Nairobi, and 0·22 in western Kenya. HCV incidence rate was greater in coastal Kenya compared with Nairobi (incidence rate ratio 1·97 [95% CI 1·35-2·93], p=0·0001) and the western region (28·17 [7·55-236·58], p<0·0001). In the coastal region, history of incarceration, more years injecting, more injections in the past month, and receptive cooker sharing were associated with increased risk of HCV, while female sex, more years injecting, more injections in the past month, and regular use of a syringe with a detachable needle were associated with HCV risk in Nairobi. HCV prevalence among HIV-positive participants was 50% (66 of 131 participants) in coastal Kenya, 35% (42 of 121) in Nairobi, and 4% (one of 23) in western Kenya. Risk factors for HIV-HCV co-infection were similar to those observed for HCV mono-infection. The prevailing genotypes were 1a (51%), 4a (47%), and mixed (2%; three 1a/4a and one 1a/2b). INTERPRETATION/CONCLUSIONS:HCV prevalence, estimated incidence, and risk behaviours among people who inject drugs in Kenya vary with region, with the highest estimated incidence observed in coastal Kenya. These findings should be used to inform focused strategies to reduce HCV transmission, such as expansion of needle and syringe programmes, upscaling of opioid agonist therapy, and treatment as prevention in regions affected by injection drug use and HCV. FUNDING/BACKGROUND:National Institute on Drug Abuse.