The Impact of Land Tenure Security on a Livelihood Intervention for People Living with HIV in Western Kenya.

Few studies have explored land access, a structural driver of health, and women's participation in livelihood interventions to improve food security and HIV outcomes. This qualitative study, embedded within Shamba Maisha (NCT02815579)-a randomized controlled trial (RCT) examining the impact of a multisectoral intervention among farmers living with HIV in western Kenya-sought to explore the influence of perceived access to and control of land on agricultural productivity, investments, and benefits. Thirty in-depth interviews (IDIs) were conducted with purposively sampled men and women, 3 to 6 months after receiving intervention inputs; data were deductively and inductively coded and analyzed. Farming practices and participation in Shamba Maisha were dependent on land tenure and participants' perceived strength of claim over their land, with participants who perceived themselves to be land insecure less likely to make long-term agricultural investments. Land tenure was influenced by a number of factors and posed unique challenges for women which negatively impacted uptake and success in the intervention. Data underscore the importance of secure land tenure for the success of similar interventions, especially for women; future interventions should integrate land security programming for improved outcomes for all.

Couple Efficacy and Communal Coping for HIV Prevention Among Kenyan Pregnant Couples.

Involving both partners of a couple in HIV prevention can improve maternal and child health outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa. Using data from 96 couples, we explored the actor and partner effects of perceived relationship dynamics on a couple's confidence and ability to reduce HIV risk together. Perceived relationship quality altered perceived confidence and ability to reduce HIV threat. One's own ability to confidently act together with their spouse appeared to be stronger for husbands than wives with respect to relationship commitment. A partner's confidence to communicate with their spouse about HIV risk reduction appeared to be stronger from husbands to wives for relationship satisfaction and trust. Gender differences in perceived relationship quality and effects on communal coping may exist and requires further study for applicability in intervention development in this setting. Efficacious couple-oriented interventions for HIV prevention should incorporate evidence on how partners mutually influence each other's health beliefs and behaviors.

Effects of a Home-Based Intervention on HIV Prevention Health Behaviors in Pregnant/Postpartum Kenyan Women: Estimating Moderating Effects of Depressive Symptoms.

We estimated effects of maternal depressive symptoms, utilizing the Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8), on women's HIV prevention behaviors in Migori County, Kenya. Pregnant women ≥ 18 years old, with gestational age of < 37 weeks, were randomized into standard care or three home visits (2 during pregnancy, 1 postpartum) promoting couple HIV testing and counseling (CHTC) and HIV prevention. Of 105 female participants, 37 (35.24%) reported depressive symptoms and 50 (47.62%) were HIV-positive. Three Poisson regressions with robust variance (univariable, multivariable, and multivariable with depressive symptoms/study arm interaction) were modeled for three outcomes: CHTC, infant HIV testing, health-seeking postpartum. In multivariable analysis with interaction, a moderating trend for the interaction between depressive symptoms and individual health-seeking was observed (p-value = 0.067). Women scoring ≤ 9 (n = 68) on the PHQ-8 and participating in home visits were 1.76 times more likely to participate in individual health-seeking compared to participants in standard care (ARR 1.76, 95% CI 1.17-2.66).

Pathways for HIV Prevention Behaviors Following a Home-Based Couples Intervention for Pregnant Women and Male Partners in Kenya.

Pregnancy is a time of heightened HIV risk, but also a phase when a couple can prioritize family health. We conducted secondary analysis of a home-based intervention in rural Kenya to explore couple-level adherence to HIV prevention behaviors. The intervention included health education, relationship-building skills, and Couples HIV Testing and Counseling. Pregnant women were randomized to the intervention (n = 64) or standard care (n = 63) along with male partners. Of 96 couples, 82 (85.0%) were followed to 3 months postpartum, when 31.0% of couples reported perfect adherence to HIV prevention. In logistic regression, intervention condition couples had three-fold higher odds of perfect adherence (AOR = 3.07, 95% CI = 1.01-9.32). A structural equation model found the intervention had moderate effects on couple communication, large effects on couple efficacy to take action around HIV, which in turn improved HIV prevention behaviors (CFI = 0.969; TLI = 0.955; RMSEA = 0.049). Strengthening couple communication and efficacy may help prevent the spread of HIV to infants or partners around the time of pregnancy.

The role of women's empowerment and male engagement in pregnancy healthcare seeking behaviors in western Kenya.

We sought to understand whether women's empowerment and male partner engagement were associated with use of antenatal care (ANC). Women presenting for ANC in Nyanza province of Kenya between June 2015 and May 2016, were approached for participation. A total of 137 pregnant women and 96 male partners completed baseline assessments. Women's empowerment was measured using the modified Sexual Relationship Power Scale. ANC use measures included timing of the first ANC visit and number of visits. Male engagement was based on whether a husband reported accompanying his wife to one or more antenatal visits during the pregnancy. Multiple linear and logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors independently related to use and timing of ANC. Women with higher mean empowerment scores were likely to have more than one ANC visit in the index pregnancy [Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 2.8, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.1-7.3], but empowerment was not associated with early ANC use. Women who were more empowered were less likely to have a husband who reported attending an ANC visit with his wife (AOR = 0.1, 95% CI: 0.03-0.8). Women's empowerment is important and may be related to ANC use and engagement of male partners in complex ways.

Development and convergent validity of new self-administered questionnaires of active transportation in three African countries: Kenya, Mozambique and Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: There is currently a rapid physical activity transition taking place in developing countries that includes a decrease in active transportation. Building on findings from an earlier systematic review, this paper describes the development and convergent validity of self-administered child and parent questionnaires assessing active transportation of children in three African countries: Kenya, Mozambique and Nigeria. METHODS: A pilot study was conducted to examine the convergent validity of the developed questionnaires by comparing responses between children and their parents (N = 121; n = 43 for Mozambique, n = 24 for Kenya and n = 54 for Nigeria). After modification, the questionnaires were then administered to a larger convenient sample of both children and parents from Kenya (n = 1123), Mozambique (n = 1097) and Nigeria (n = 831) which defined the main study. The questionnaires assessed active transportation to/from 8 categories of destinations including school, friends' and relatives' home/houses, parks and playgrounds among others. Twenty items were used to assess child - and parent-perceived barriers to active transportation, and the parent questionnaire inquired about parent education and availability of cars, motorcycles, and bicycles. Spearman's rho was used to compare children's mode of travel in the pilot study while the prevalence-adjusted bias-adjusted kappa (PABAK) coefficient was used to compare convergent validity between children's and parents responses on active transportation in the main study. RESULTS: Findings of the main study show that convergent validity for active transportation to and from each destination in the combined sample ranged from 0.472 (from school) to 0.998 (to other places). Convergent validity for challenges/barriers to active transportation to school ranged from fair (0.30 - The route does not have good lighting) to substantial (0.77 - My child has a disability). It varied between countries from fair (n = 11-items) to moderate (n = 9-items) agreement in Kenya and from poor (n = 2-items) to fair (n = 16-items) agreement in Nigeria. Data from Mozambique was however missing and therefore could be included. CONCLUSIONS: The questionnaires provided valid information on the number of trips to/from various destinations and show acceptable and modest convergent validity for measuring barriers to active transport in a sample of children from three African countries. These questionnaires may be suitable for future research on active transport among school children in Sub-Saharan African countries.

The role of fathers and care-giving arrangements in informal settlements in Kenya and Ethiopia.

Introduction: Quality childcare has been associated with multiple long-term benefits for children including improved school readiness, better educational outcomes and improved health and productivity. Evidence suggests that returns on investment are much higher when targeted at the youngest children, especially during the first 1,000 days. Despite the evidence and the ever-increasing need and potential benefits, investments made so far to make high-quality childcare accessible to the neediest families are not commensurate. It is estimated that nearly 350 million eligible pre-primary school-age children have no access to quality childcare, especially in low-and middle-income countries. The purpose of this study was to establish the role of fathers and the childcare arrangements in selected urban informal settlements in Kenya and Ethiopia. Methods: A mixed methods design was adopted with quantitative data being collected using a structured household questionnaire administered to 635 mothers of children of 0-3 years from both countries. In both countries, data was collected from three vulnerable communities namely urban informal settlements, large commercial agricultural settlements associated with flower farms, and female penal institutions where women with young children below 4 years old are incarcerated. Quantitative data was not collected from the penal institutions because during the time of the study (at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic), access to members of the public including researchers was restricted and so here only qualitative data was collected. The data reported in this article therefore does not include data from penal institutions. Results: Findings show that fathers played a major role in childcare according to 74% of respondents in Kenya and 57.7% in Ethiopia. This involvement is mainly defined in terms of providing financial support for basic needs for the family and child and for accessing health care. Some fathers were found to be either minimally involved or not involved at all. Key reasons advanced for minimal engagement included fathers having either left home permanently, had another family, was working far from home or was working long hours. Findings regarding care arrangements established that significant proportions of children had been left behind without adult supervision. Neighbors and siblings younger than 18 years provided most of the alternative care. House helps also accounted for 20.3% of care in Ethiopia with none being registered for Kenya. Daycare services only accounted for 13.4% of care in Kenya and 6.3% in Ethiopia, respectively. Conclusion: The findings revealed that fathers are fairly involved in childcare even mainly through providing necessary resources. Significantly high proportions of children were left under the care of their underage siblings leading to questions of the safety of these children. Parents and guardians in these settlements had access to a mix of care arrangements including both unpaid and paid neighbors, toddler's siblings and in limited cases, daycare services. The low levels of utilization of daycare services indicate either limited services or inability to pay for the same. It is recommended that governments consider investing in childcare services in informal settlements.

Cost of Home-Based Couples Human Immunodeficiency Virus Counseling and Testing and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Self-Testing During Pregnancy and Postpartum in Southwestern Kenya.

OBJECTIVE: Home-based couples HIV testing and counseling and HIV self-testing (HIVST) for pregnant women can promote HIV status disclosure and male partner testing; however, cost data are lacking. We examined a home-based couples intervention (HBCI) and HIVST intervention costs per couple (unit cost) during pregnancy and postpartum in Kenya. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial is comparing HBCI and HIVST for couples among pregnant women attending antenatal care clinics in two counties in southwestern Kenya. We used micro-costing to estimate the unit cost per couple receiving the intervention as the total of direct and indirect costs for each study arm in 2019 US$. We used a one-month window to conduct a time and motion study to determine personnel effort and resources. We then compared the unit cost by arm, identified key cost drivers, and conducted sensitivity analyses for cost uncertainties. RESULTS: At base-case, the unit cost was $129.01 and $41.99, respectively, for HBCI and HIVST. Personnel comprised half of the unit cost for both arms. Staff spent more time on activities related to participant engagement in HBCI (accounting for 6.4% of the unit cost) than in HIVST (2.3%). Staff training was another key cost driver in HBCI (20.1% of the unit cost compared to 12.5% in HIVST). Sensitivity analyses revealed that the unit cost ranges were $104.64-$154.54 for HBCI and $30.49-$56.59 for HIVST. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings may guide spending decisions for future HIV prevention and treatment programs for pregnant couples in resource-limited settings such as Kenya.

Wealth and obesity in pre-adolescents and their guardians: A first step in explaining non-communicable disease-related behaviour in two areas of Nairobi City County.

The prevalence of non-communicable diseases is increasing in lower-middle-income countries as these countries transition to unhealthy lifestyles. The transition is mostly predominant in urban areas. We assessed the association between wealth and obesity in two sub-counties in Nairobi City County, Kenya, in the context of family and poverty. This cross-sectional study was conducted among of 9-14 years old pre-adolescents and their guardians living in low- (Embakasi) and middle-income (Langata) sub-counties. The sociodemographic characteristics were collected using a validated questionnaire. Weight, height, mid-upper arm circumference, and waist circumference were measured using standard approved protocols. Socioeconomic characteristics of the residential sites were accessed using Wealth Index, created by using Principal Component Analysis. Statistical analyses were done by analysis of variance (continuous variables, comparison of areas) and with logistic and linear regression models.A total of 149 households, response rate of 93%, participated, 72 from Embakasi and 77 from Langata. Most of the participants residing in Embakasi belonged to the lower income and education groups whereas participants residing in Langata belonged to the higher income and education groups. About 30% of the pre-adolescent participants in Langata were overweight, compared to 6% in Embakasi (p<0.001). In contrast, the prevalence of adults (mostly mothers) with overweight and obesity was high (65%) in both study areas. Wealth (ß = 0.01; SE 0.0; p = 0.003) and income (ß = 0.29; SE 0.11; p = 0.009) predicted higher BMI z-score in pre-adolescents. In, pre-adolescent overweight was already highly prevalent in the middle-income area, while the proportion of women with overweight/obesity was high in the low-income area. These results suggest that a lifestyle promoting obesity is high regardless of socioeconomic status and wealth in Kenya. This provides a strong justification for promoting healthy lifestyles across all socio-economic classes.

Implications of providing social support to close network members on the social well-being of older people in Kitui County, Kenya.

Social support is a strong predictor of social well-being. Older people are key providers of social support to others, but an overemphasis on received social support in gerontological literature portrays them as mere recipients. We examined the association between social support provided by older people and its influence on their social well-being. Data were collected from 369 respondents residing in rural dwellings in Kitui County using mixed methods and were analyzed for association using chi-square statistics. Instrumental, emotional, and information support provision was determined by asking four questions in each category about whether the respondents provided social support to close network members. The subjective experience of support provision using a satisfaction question for each domain of social support was used to determine the influence of providing social support on the social well-being of older people. Provision of social support across the three domains was found to be significantly associated with social well-being. The level of statistical significance was highest for emotional and information support compared to instrumental support. Older people are important providers of social support. The majority of those who provided social support reported being satisfied. Therefore, offering social support, especially emotional and information support, is an important contributor to satisfaction with these aspects of social well-being.

Physical activity and active transportation behaviour among rural, peri-urban and urban children in Kenya, Mozambique and Nigeria: The PAAT Study.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity (PA) is associated with numerous health benefits among children and youth. However, few studies have examined how active transportation (AT) and device-based measures of PA vary within and between countries in sub-Saharan Africa. PURPOSE: This cross-sectional study sought to investigate the prevalence and correlates of AT and device-measured PA among children living in urban, peri-urban and rural areas in three African countries representing Eastern, Western and Southern regions of Africa. METHODS: 3,205 participants (53.3% girls; 46.7% boys) aged 10-12 years were recruited in Kenya, Nigeria and Mozambique. Data were collected using a child questionnaire, a parent/guardian questionnaire and PiezoRx® pedometers. ANCOVA and binary logistic regression analyses were used to examine the correlates of AT and PA while controlling for gender, age, parent education and vehicle ownership. RESULTS: Participants accumulated an average of 45.6±23.5 min/day of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and 11,215±4,273 steps/day. Kenyan and Mozambican children were significantly more active than their Nigerian counterparts (p<0.001). Only 23% met the MVPA guidelines of 60 min/day. 65.1% of participants engaged in AT to school (and 67.8% for the trip back home) with no gender differences. Living in a rural area, lower parent education, lower vehicle ownership and higher motorcycle ownership were associated with higher odds of AT. Other correlates of AT were country-specific. Girls accumulated less daily MVPA than boys in all countries. MVPA was positively associated with living in less urbanized areas in Nigeria and Mozambique. In Kenya, lower parental education and AT were associated with higher MVPA. Nigerian children's daily MVPA decreased with age and the number of parent-perceived barriers to AT. CONCLUSIONS: Majority of children engaged in AT, but still failed to meet MVPA recommendations. Most correlates of AT and PA were country-specific, suggesting that strategies to encourage both behaviours should be informed by local evidence.

Improving early childhood development in the context of the nurturing care framework in Kenya: A policy review and qualitative exploration of emerging issues with policy makers.

Introduction: The Nurturing Care Framework (NCF) describes "nurturing care" as the ability of nations and communities to support caregivers and provide an environment that ensures children's good health and nutrition, protects them from threats, and provides opportunities for early learning through responsive and emotionally supportive interaction. We assessed the extent to which Kenyan government policies address the components of the NCF and explored policy/decision makers' views on policy gaps and emerging issues. Methods: A search strategy was formulated to identify policy documents focusing on early childhood development (ECD), health and nutrition, responsive caregiving, opportunities for early learning and security and safety, which are key components of the NCF. We limited the search to policy documents published since 2010 when the Kenya constitution was promulgated and ECD functions devolved to county governments. Policy/decision-maker interviews were also conducted to clarify emerging gaps from policy data. Data was extracted, coded and analyzed based on the components of the NCF. Framework analysis was used for interview data with NCF being the main framework of analysis. The Jaccard's similarity coefficient was used to assess similarities between the themes being compared to further understand the challenges, successes and future plans of policy and implementation under each of the NCF domains. Results: 127 policy documents were retrieved from government e-repository and county websites. Of these, n = 91 were assessed against the inclusion criteria, and n = 66 were included in final analysis. The 66 documents included 47 County Integrated Development Plans (CIDPs) and 19 national policy documents. Twenty policy/decision-maker interviews were conducted. Analysis of both policy and interview data reveal that, while areas of health and nutrition have been considered in policies and county level plans (coefficients >0.5), the domains of early learning, responsive caregiving and safety and security face significant policy and implementation gaps (coefficients ≤ 0.5), particularly for the 0-3 year age group. Inconsistencies were noted between county level implementation plans and national policies in areas such as support for children with disabilities and allocation of budget to early learning and nutrition domains. Conclusion: Findings indicate a strong focus on nutrition and health with limited coverage of responsive caregiving and opportunities for early learning domains. Therefore, if nurturing care goals are to be achieved in Kenya, policies are needed to support current gaps identified with urgent need for policies of minimum standards that provide support for improvements across all Nurturing Care Framework domains.

Prevalence and correlates of compliance with 24-h movement guidelines among children from urban and rural Kenya-The Kenya-LINX project.

BACKGROUND: Like many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Kenya has experienced rapid urbanization in recent years. Despite the distinct socioeconomic and environmental differences, few studies have examined the adherence to movement guidelines in urban and rural areas. This cross-sectional study aimed at examining compliance to the 24-hour movement guidelines and their correlates among children from urban and rural Kenya. METHOD: Children (n = 539) aged 11.1 ± 0.8 years (52% female) were recruited from 8 urban and 8 rural private and public schools in Kenya. Physical activity (PA) and sleep duration were estimated using 24-h raw data from wrist-worn accelerometers. Screen time (ST) and potential correlates were self- reported. Multi-level logistic regression was applied to identify correlates of adherence to combined and individual movement guidelines. RESULTS: Compliance with the combined movement guidelines was low overall (7%), and higher among rural (10%) than urban (5%) children. Seventy-six percent of rural children met the individual PA guidelines compared to 60% urban children while more rural children also met sleep guidelines (27% vs 14%). The odds of meeting the combined movement guidelines reduced with age (OR = 0.55, 95% CI = 0.35-0.87, p = 0.01), was greater among those who could swim (OR = 3.27, 95% CI = 1.09-9.83, p = 0.04), and among those who did not engage in ST before school (OR = 4.40, 95% CI = 1.81-10.68, p<0.01). The odds of meeting PA guidelines increased with the number of weekly physical education sessions provided at school (OR = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.36-3.21, p<0.01) and was greater among children who spent their lunch break walking (OR = 2.52, 95% CI = 1.15-5.55, p = 0.02) or running relative to those who spent it sitting (OR = 2.33, 95% CI = 1.27-4.27, p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of meeting movement guidelines among Kenyan children is low and of greatest concern in urban areas. Several correlates were identified, particularly influential were features of the school day, School is thus a significant setting to promote a healthy balance between sleep, sedentary time, and PA.

Genotypic-specific heat shock response of vector susceptibility to Schistosoma mansoni.

Living organisms are vulnerable to thermal stress which causes a diversity of physiological outcomes. Previous work has shown that the snail vectors (Biomphalaria glabrata) of an important human pathogen, Schistosoma mansoni, revert from resistant to susceptible after short exposure to a heat stress as low as 31oC; however, due to lack of replicability among labs and genetic lines of snails, it has been hypothesized that this effect is genotype dependent. We examined the effects of heat shock on resistance of two species of snail vectors including B. glabrata and B. sudanica. We used 3 different inbred laboratory snail lines in addition to the F1 generation of field collected snails from Lake Victoria, Kenya, an area with high levels of schistosomiasis transmission. Our results showed marginal effects of heat shock on prevalence of infection in B. glabrata, and that this response was genotype specific. We found no evidence of a heat shock effect on prevalence of infection in B. sudanica or on intensity of infection (number of infectious stages shed) in either snail species. Such environmentally influenced defense responses stress the importance of considering this unique interaction between snail and parasite genotypes in determining infection dynamics under climate changes.

Testing strategies for couple engagement in prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and family health in Kenya: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: HIV-related maternal deaths and HIV infection among infants remain unacceptably high across sub-Saharan Africa despite increased antenatal care attendance and provision of antiretroviral therapy to pregnant women. In the Jamii Bora ("Better Family" in Swahili) Study, we seek to test the efficacy of an interdependence theory-based couple intervention. The intervention reaches pregnant women and male partners through home visits by male-female pairs of lay health workers. The aim is to increase access to home-based couples' HIV testing and counseling services to improve family health. METHODS: This is a three-arm randomized control trial among 1080 pregnant women 15 years of age or older, living with their male partners, and who have not undergone couples' HIV testing and counseling in Kisumu and Migori Counties in Kenya. Couples will be randomized into three groups: home-based couple visits, HIV self-testing kits for couple use, or standard care (male partner clinic invitation letters). Participants will be followed up to 18 months postpartum. The study has three aims: in aim 1, we will determine the effects of the intervention on our primary outcome of couple HIV testing, compared to HIV self-testing kits and standard care; in aim 2, we will examine the intervention impact on HIV prevention behaviors, facility delivery, and postnatal healthcare utilization, as well as secondary health outcomes of maternal viral suppression and HIV-free child survival up to 18 months for couples living with HIV; and in aim 3, we will compare the cost-effectiveness of the home-based couple intervention to the less resource-intensive strategies used in the other two study arms. Assessments with couples are conducted at baseline, late pregnancy, and at months 3, 6, 12, and 18 after birth. DISCUSSION: The results from this study will inform decision-makers about the cost-effective strategies to engage pregnant couples in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission and family health, with important downstream benefits for maternal, paternal, and infant health. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03547739 . Registered on May 9, 2018.

Development and Piloting of a Home-Based Couples Intervention During Pregnancy and Postpartum in Southwestern Kenya.

Engaging both partners of a pregnant couple can enhance prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and promote family health. We developed and piloted an intervention to promote couple collaboration in health during pregnancy and postpartum in southwestern Kenya. We utilized formative data and stakeholder input to inform development of a home-based couples intervention. Next, we randomized pregnant women to intervention (n = 64) or standard care (n = 63) arms, subsequently contacting their male partners for enrollment. In the intervention arm, lay health workers conducted couple home visits, including health education, couple relationship and communication skills, and offers of couple HIV testing and counseling (CHTC) services. Follow-up questionnaires were conducted 3 months postpartum (n = 114 women, 86 men). Baseline characteristics and health behaviors were examined by study arm using t-tests, chi-square tests, and regression analyses. Of the 127 women randomized, 96 of their partners participated in the study. Of 52 enrolled couples in the intervention arm, 94% completed at least one couple home visit. Over 93% of participants receiving couple home visits were satisfied and no adverse social consequences were reported. At follow-up, intervention couples had a 2.78 relative risk of having participated in CHTC during the study period compared with standard care couples (95% confidence interval: 1.63-4.75), and significant associations were observed in other key perinatal health behaviors. This pilot study revealed that a home-based couples intervention for pregnant women and male partners is acceptable, feasible, and has the potential to enhance CHTC and perinatal health behaviors, leading to improved health outcomes.

Factors associated with mother to child transmission of HIV despite overall low transmission rates in HIV-exposed infants in rural Kenya.

Despite the availability of efficacious prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) interventions and improved access to preventive services in many developing countries, vertical HIV transmission persists. A matched case-control study of HIV-exposed infants between January and June 2012 was conducted at 20 clinics in Kenya. Cases were HIV-infected infants and controls were exposed, uninfected infants. Conditional logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine characteristics associated with HIV infection. Forty-five cases and 45 controls were compared. Characteristics associated with HIV-infection included poor PMTCT service uptake such as late infant enrollment (odds ratio [OR]: 7.1, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.6-16.7) and poor adherence to infant prophylaxis (OR: 8.3, 95%CI: 3.2-21.4). Maternal characteristics associated with MTCT included lack of awareness of HIV status (OR: 5.6, 95%CI: 2.2-14.5), failure to access antiretroviral prophylaxis (OR: 22.2, 95%CI: 5.8-84.6), and poor adherence (OR: 8.1, 95%CI: 3.7-17.8). Lack of clinic-based HIV education (OR: 7.7, 95%CI: 2.0-25.0) and counseling (OR: 8.3, 95%CI: 2.2-33.3) were reported by mothers of cases. Poor uptake of PMTCT services and a reported absence of HIV education and counseling at the clinic were associated with MTCT. More emphasis on high-quality, comprehensive PMTCT service provision are urgently needed to minimize HIV transmission to children.

Implementation of repeat HIV testing during pregnancy in southwestern Kenya: progress and missed opportunities.

INTRODUCTION: Repeat HIV testing during the late antenatal period is crucial to identify and initiate treatment for pregnant women with incident HIV infection to prevent perinatal HIV transmission and keep mothers alive. In 2012, the Kenya Ministry of Health adopted international guidelines suggesting that pregnant women be offered retesting three months after an initial negative HIV test. Our objectives were to determine the current rate of antenatal repeat HIV testing; identify successes, missed opportunities and factors associated with retesting; and estimate the incidence of HIV during pregnancy. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of longitudinal data was conducted for a cohort of 2145 women attending antenatal care clinic at a large district hospital in southwestern Kenya. Data were abstracted from registers for all women who attended the clinic from the years 2011 to 2014. RESULTS: Although 90.2% of women first came to clinic prior to their third trimester and 27.5% had at least four clinic visits, 58.0% of all women went to delivery without a retest. Missed opportunities for retesting included not returning to clinic at all, not returning when eligible, or late gestational age (>28 weeks) at first clinic visit making them ineligible for retesting (accounting for 14.2%, 26.8% and 9.6% of all clinic attendees respectively); and failure to be retested even when eligible at one or more visits (accounting for 73.2% of eligible returnees). Being unmarried and aged 20 or younger was associated with an increase in mean gestational age of first visit by 2.52 weeks (95% CI: 1.56, 3.48) and a 2.59 increased odds (95% CI: 1.90, 3.54) of failing to return to clinic, compared to those who were married and over 20 years of age. On retest, two women tested HIV positive, suggesting an incidence rate of 4.4 per 100 person-years. After adjusting for potential confounders, only later year of last menstrual period (2013 vs. 2012 and 2011) was associated with retesting. CONCLUSIONS: Adoption of retesting guidelines in 2012 appears to have successfully increased retesting rates, but missed opportunities to identify incident HIV infection during pregnancy may contribute to continuing high rates of perinatal HIV transmission in southwestern Kenya.