Can social support mediate stigma and perceived stress in people live with human immunodeficiency virus?

Stigma has heavily impacted People Living with HIV (PLWH). Limited studies report on how social support affects HIV-related stigma and perceived stress, especially in Myanmar. During first seven months of 2020, a random sample of 248 eligible PLWH were contacted from a private, closed Facebook group with more than 18,000 Myanmar people, where 90% of the members were PLWH. Variables collected included demographics data, perceived stress, social support, and HIV stigma. After controlling for the effects of demographic variables, the path from HIV stigma to perceived stress (direct effect ß = 0.40) and though the mediation of social support was significant (indirect effect ß = 0.014). However, the mediating effect of social support was non-significant between HIV stigma and perceived stress. This exploratory study shows that social support did not have the expected effect of decreasing perceived stress in PLWH in Myanmar. Interventions to reduce HIV stigma to decrease perceived stress should consider other strategies, e.g., spirituality-based practice, to reduce perceived stress in Myanmar PLWH.

Betel Quid and Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders in a Periurban Township in Myanmar.

This study aims to describe betel quid chewing practice and compare oral potentially malignant disorders between chewers and non-chewers of betel quid among residents in Dagon Myothit (East) Township, Myanmar. The study used a cross-sectional design conducted with a representative sample of 542 adults aged 18 years and above in the township. The trained interviewers collected data using a pretested structured questionnaire. On-site oral examination was done for suspected oral lesions. The mean age of the respondents was 45 years and 59% were women. Fifty-two percent of the respondents were currently in the habit of chewing betel quids (72% of men and 39% of women). Among 284 current betel quid chewers, 240 (85%) chewed betel quids together with tobacco. Out of 284 current betel quid chewers, 24 (8.5%) were found to have oral potentially malignant disorders; out of 258 betel quid non-chewers, only 1 (0.4%) was found to have oral potentially malignant disorders. This highlights the growing importance of smokeless tobacco use as public health problem.