TY - JOUR
T1 - Characteristics and drinking behaviour of patients on antiretroviral therapy who drink and attend HIV clinics in Tshwane, South Africa
T2 - Implications for intervention
AU - Parry, C. D.
AU - Londani, M.
AU - Shuper, P. A.
AU - Myers, B.
AU - Kekwaletswe, C. T.
AU - Nkosi, S.
AU - Morojele, N. K.
PY - 2019/9/30
Y1 - 2019/9/30
N2 - BACKGROUND: Patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART) who drink alcohol are at risk of poor medication adherence and negative health outcomes. OBJECTIVES: To explore the drinking behaviour of patients on ART and assess the associations between drinking, adherence to ART and viral load, and in particular factors associated with binge drinking (≥6 drinks per occasion) at least monthly. METHODS: We recruited 623 HIV patients from six hospitals in the Tshwane metropole who scored positive on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT-C) but were 'non-dependent' drinkers into a randomised controlled trial. This article reports on baseline data. RESULTS: Of the patients, 51% reported drinking in the past week, 60% of men and 33% of women consumed ≥6 standard drinks on a typical drinking day, and 19% of men and 5% of women were identified as drinking at harmful levels. Over a quarter reported having a friend or relative, or a doctor or other healthcare worker, express concern about their drinking or suggest that they cut down. AUDIT total scores were significantly negatively correlated with self-reported adherence to ART and positively correlated with viral load. Number of years on ART was not significantly associated with binge drinking. Persons who were employed part time (odds ratio (OR) 1.474) or were self-employed (OR 2.135) were more likely to binge-drink than unemployed persons. Beer drinkers (OR 1.716) were more at risk for binge drinking than non-beer drinkers, and persons who drank monthly or less (OR 0.053) or 2 - 4 times a month (OR 0.168) were less at risk for bingeing than those who drank ≥4 times per week. CONCLUSIONS: The high volume of alcohol consumed per occasion by patients on ART, especially beer and spirits drinkers, is a concern. Interventions that address structural drivers of heavy drinking and target HIV patients at risk of heavy drinking are needed.
AB - BACKGROUND: Patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART) who drink alcohol are at risk of poor medication adherence and negative health outcomes. OBJECTIVES: To explore the drinking behaviour of patients on ART and assess the associations between drinking, adherence to ART and viral load, and in particular factors associated with binge drinking (≥6 drinks per occasion) at least monthly. METHODS: We recruited 623 HIV patients from six hospitals in the Tshwane metropole who scored positive on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT-C) but were 'non-dependent' drinkers into a randomised controlled trial. This article reports on baseline data. RESULTS: Of the patients, 51% reported drinking in the past week, 60% of men and 33% of women consumed ≥6 standard drinks on a typical drinking day, and 19% of men and 5% of women were identified as drinking at harmful levels. Over a quarter reported having a friend or relative, or a doctor or other healthcare worker, express concern about their drinking or suggest that they cut down. AUDIT total scores were significantly negatively correlated with self-reported adherence to ART and positively correlated with viral load. Number of years on ART was not significantly associated with binge drinking. Persons who were employed part time (odds ratio (OR) 1.474) or were self-employed (OR 2.135) were more likely to binge-drink than unemployed persons. Beer drinkers (OR 1.716) were more at risk for binge drinking than non-beer drinkers, and persons who drank monthly or less (OR 0.053) or 2 - 4 times a month (OR 0.168) were less at risk for bingeing than those who drank ≥4 times per week. CONCLUSIONS: The high volume of alcohol consumed per occasion by patients on ART, especially beer and spirits drinkers, is a concern. Interventions that address structural drivers of heavy drinking and target HIV patients at risk of heavy drinking are needed.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85073655629&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.7196/SAMJ.2019.v109i10.13586
DO - 10.7196/SAMJ.2019.v109i10.13586
M3 - Article
C2 - 31635577
AN - SCOPUS:85073655629
SN - 0256-9574
VL - 109
SP - 784
EP - 791
JO - South African Medical Journal
JF - South African Medical Journal
IS - 10
ER -
