Recent findings in HIV/AIDS described by K.M. Harrison and colleagues

Return to AIDS/HIV Alert Section

February 9th, 2009

   2009 FEB 9 -- In this recent study, researchers in the United States conducted a study "To estimate relative survival (RS) after human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) diagnosis, by race/ethnicity and county-level socioeconomic status (SES). We estimated 5-year RS by age, race/ethnicity, transmission category, sex, diagnosis year, CD4 count, and by county-level SES variables from the U.S. Census."

   "Data, from the national HIV/AIDS Reporting System, were for HIV-infected persons ages >= 13 years (diagnosis during 1996-2003 and follow-up through 2005). We calculated RS proportions by using a maximum likelihood algorithm and modeled the relative risk of excess death (RR) using generalized linear models, with poverty as a random effect. For men, RS was worse in Counties with larger proportions of people living below the 2000 U.S. poverty level (87.7% for poverty of >= 20% vs. 90.1% for poverty of < 5.0%) and where unemployment was greater (87.8% where unemployment > 7.1% vs. 90.5% where unemployment < 4.0%). The effects of county-level SES on RS of women were similar. In multilevel multivariate models, RR for men and women within 5 years after an HIV diagnosis was significantly worse in counties where 10.0-19.9% (compared with < 5.0%) lived below the poverty level (RR = 1.3 [95% CI 1.2-1.5] and RR = 1.8 [95% CI 1.4-2.2], respectively). RS was worse in lower SES areas," wrote K.M. Harrison and colleagues.

   The researchers concluded: "To help address the impact of county-level SES, resources for HIV testing, care, and proven economic interventions should be directed to areas with concentrations of economically disadvantaged people."

   Harrison and colleagues published their study in Annals of Epidemiology (County-Level Socioeconomic Status and Survival After HIV Diagnosis, United States. Annals of Epidemiology, 2008;18(12):919-927).

   For more information, contact K.M. Harrison, Center Diseases Control & Prevention, Division HIV AIDS Prevention, National Center HIV AIDS Viral Hepatitis STD & TB Preven, 1600 Clifton Rd. NE, Mailstop E-47, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA.

   Publisher contact information for the journal Annals of Epidemiology is: Elsevier Science Inc., 360 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010-1710, USA.

   Keywords: United States, Atlanta, HIV/AIDS, AIDS, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Epidemiology, HIV, Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Immunology, Sexually Transmitted Disease, Viral, Virology.

   This article was prepared by AIDS Weekly editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2009, AIDS Weekly via NewsRx.com.

Return to AIDS/HIV Alert Section