Estimating household contact matrices structure from easily collectable metadata.

Contact matrices are a commonly adopted data representation, used to develop compartmental models for epidemic spreading, accounting for the contact heterogeneities across age groups. Their estimation, however, is generally time and effort consuming and model-driven strategies to quantify the contacts are often needed. In this article we focus on household contact matrices, describing the contacts among the members of a family and develop a parametric model to describe them. This model combines demographic and easily quantifiable survey-based data and is tested on high resolution proximity data collected in two sites in South Africa. Given its simplicity and interpretability, we expect our method to be easily applied to other contexts as well and we identify relevant questions that need to be addressed during the data collection procedure.

Prevalence and Factors Associated With Frailty Among Older Adults Living With HIV Compared to Their Uninfected Peers From the Kenyan Coast.

Objectives: a) To document the prevalence and correlates of frailty among older adults living with HIV (OALWH) and their uninfected peers, and b) Investigate HIV status as an independent predictor of frailty. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between 2020 and 2021 at the Kenyan coast among 440 older adults aged ≥50 years (257 OALWH). Frailty was assessed using the Reported Edmonton Frail Scale. Logistic regression was used to examine the correlates of frailty. Results: The prevalence of frailty was significantly higher among OALWH (24%) than their uninfected peers (13%). HIV seropositivity was not independently associated with frailty. Sleeping difficulties, ageism, higher waist/hip ratio, visiting traditional healers, HIV treatment change/interruption, prolonged illness following HIV diagnosis, and self-reported diabetes were significantly associated with higher odds of frailty. Residing in larger households, having higher income, having friends, being male and light physical activities were significantly associated with reduced odds of frailty. Conclusion: The prevalence of frailty is elevated among OALWH; however, factors other than HIV are predominant, particularly psychosocial factors. Multicomponent interventions are needed to prevent/delay and manage frailty in this setting.

A individually randomized controlled trial comparing Healer-led vs. clinician- led training to improve personal protective equipment use among traditional healers in South Africa.

Like allopathic healthcare workers, healers are also exposed to patients' blood and body fluids. A widespread practice is the traditional "injection," in which the healer performs subcutaneous incisions to rub herbs directly into the bloodied skin, resulting in 1,500 blood exposures over their lifetime. We tested the impact of healer-led PPE training, staffed by trained traditional healers who reported using PPE during each risky clinical encounter vs. healthcare worker (HCW)-led PPE training sessions. We randomized 136 healers into one of the two study arms (67 in the healer-led group, 69 in the HCW-led group) and assessed the impact of trainer on PPE skills and use over a six-month period. All healers received one in-person day of didactic and practical training followed by three sessions at the healers' home. Participants were largely female (80%), averaged 51 years old, and practiced as a healer for an average of 17 years. Almost 44% either disclosed themselves as HIV+ or received a positive HIV test result at study initiation. Healers in the HCW arm showed equivalent PPE scores as those trained by traditional healers at baseline and at seven months. Healers in both arms self-reported high levels of glove use during"injections," with no statistical difference of use by study arm. When we assessed actual gloves and razor blades disposed of each month, a similar trend emerged. No one seroconverted during the study period. The need for PPE support among traditional healers cannot be ignored. Traditional healers can be trained to effectively disseminate PPE knowledge and skills to other traditional healers. With an estimated 200,000 traditional healers in South Africa, it is imperative that all of them have access to PPE training and supplies to prevent HIV, HCV, or HBV infections. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04440813. Registered 17 June 2020, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04440813.

Mental distress, food insecurity and university student dropout during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020: evidence from South Africa.

Background: Student dropout has been a key issue facing universities for many years. The COVID-19 pandemic was expected to exacerbate these trends; however, international literature has produced conflicting findings. Limited literature from Africa has investigated the impact of COVID-19 on student dropout trends, despite the documented devastation, including increased risk of food insecurity and mental distress, caused by the pandemic. Objective: This work seeks to understand the impact of food insecurity and mental distress on student dropout during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Using a cross-sectional research design, first-year undergraduate students from a large South African university were recruited via email to participate in a survey between September and October 2020. The Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) was used to measure food insecurity and the Patient Health Questionnaire Anxiety and Depression Scale (PHQ-ADS) was used to measure mental distress. Multivariate regression was used to investigate factors associated with student dropout. Results: The student dropout rate was 10.5% (95% CI: 8.2-13.2). The prevalence of severe food insecurity was 25.7% (95% CI: 22.3-29.4) and the prevalence of severe mental distress symptoms was 26.7% (95% CI: 23.3-30.4). Dropout rates and levels of food insecurity were highest among students residing in remote areas during the lockdown at 19.2% and 43.6%, respectively. The multivariate logistic regression revealed that being male increased the probability of dropout almost three-fold (odds ratio (OR) = 2.70; 95% CI: 1.48-4.89, p =0.001)). Being moderately food insecure increased the odds of dropout more than two-fold (OR=2.50; 95% CI:1.12-5.55, p=0.025), and experiencing severe mental distress symptoms increased the odds of dropout seven-fold (OR=7.08; 95% CI:2.67-18.81, p<0.001). Conclusion: While acknowledging that various factors and complexities contribute to student dropout, the increased vulnerability to food insecurity and mental distress, stemming from issues such as widespread job losses and isolation experienced during the pandemic, may have also had an impact on dropout. This work reiterates the importance of directing additional support to students who are food insecure and those who are experiencing mental distress in order to mitigate university student dropout.

Mid-life employment trajectories and subsequent memory function and rate of decline in rural South Africa, 2000-22.

AIM: To investigate mid-life employment trajectories in relation to later-life memory function and rate of decline in rural South Africa. METHODS: Data from the Agincourt Health and Socio-Demographic Surveillance System were linked to the 'Health and Ageing in Africa: A Longitudinal Study of an INDEPTH Community in South Africa' (HAALSI) in rural Agincourt, South Africa (N = 3133). Employment was assessed every 4 years over 2000-12 as being employed (0, 1, 2 and ≥3 time points), being employed in a higher-skill occupation (0, 1, 2 and ≥3 time points) and dynamic employment trajectories identified using sequence analysis. Latent memory z-scores were assessed over 2014-22. Mixed-effects linear regression models were fitted to examine the associations of interest. RESULTS: Sustained mid-life employment from 2000-12 (ß = 0.052, 95% CI: -0.028 to 0.132, 1 vs 0 time points; ß = 0.163, 95% CI: 0.077 to 0.250, 2 vs 0 time points; ß = 0.212, 95% CI: 0.128 to 0.296, ≥3 vs 0 time points) and greater time spent in a higher-skill occupation (ß = 0.077, 95% CI: -0.020 to 0.175, 1 vs 0 time points; ß = 0.241, 95% CI: 0.070 to 0.412, 2 vs 0 time points; ß = 0.361, 95% CI: 0.201 to 0.520, ≥3 vs 0 time points) were associated with higher memory scores in 2014/15, but not subsequent rate of memory decline. Moving from a lower-skill to higher-skill occupation was associated with higher memory function, but a faster rate of decline over 2014-22. CONCLUSIONS: Sustained mid-life employment, particularly in higher-skill occupations, may contribute to later-life memory function in this post-Apartheid South African setting.

Magnetic resonance imaging findings in Kenyans and South Africans with active convulsive epilepsy: An observational study.

OBJECTIVE: Focal epilepsy is common in low- and middle-income countries. The frequency and nature of possible underlying structural brain abnormalities have, however, not been fully assessed. METHODS: We evaluated the possible structural causes of epilepsy in 331 people with epilepsy (240 from Kenya and 91 from South Africa) identified from community surveys of active convulsive epilepsy. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were acquired on 1.5-Tesla scanners to determine the frequency and nature of any underlying lesions. We estimated the prevalence of these abnormalities using Bayesian priors (from an earlier pilot study) and observed data (from this study). We used a mixed-effect modified Poisson regression approach with the site as a random effect to determine the clinical features associated with neuropathology. RESULTS: MRI abnormalities were found in 140 of 240 (modeled prevalence = 59%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 53%-64%) of people with epilepsy in Kenya, and in 62 of 91 (modeled prevalence = 65%, 95% CI: 57%-73%) in South Africa, with a pooled modeled prevalence of 61% (95% CI: 56%-66%). Abnormalities were common in those with a history of adverse perinatal events (15/23 [65%, 95% CI: 43%-84%]), exposure to parasitic infections (83/120 [69%, 95% CI: 60%-77%]) and focal electroencephalographic features (97/142 [68%, 95% CI: 60%-76%]), but less frequent in individuals with generalized electroencephalographic features (44/99 [44%, 95% CI: 34%-55%]). Most abnormalities were potentially epileptogenic (167/202, 82%), of which mesial temporal sclerosis (43%) and gliosis (34%) were the most frequent. Abnormalities were associated with co-occurrence of generalized non-convulsive seizures (relative risk [RR] = 1.12, 95% CI: 1.04-1.25), lack of family history of seizures (RR = 0.91, 0.86-0.96), convulsive status epilepticus (RR = 1.14, 1.08-1.21), frequent seizures (RR = 1.12, 1.04-1.20), and reported use of anti-seizure medication (RR = 1.22, 1.18-1.26). SIGNIFICANCE: MRI identified pathologies are common in people with epilepsy in Kenya and South Africa. Mesial temporal sclerosis, the most common abnormality, may be amenable to surgical correction. MRI may have a diagnostic value in rural Africa, but future longitudinal studies should examine the prognostic role.

Association of brain arterial diameters with demographic and anatomical factors in a multi-national pooled analysis of cohort studies.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Brain arterial diameters are markers of cerebrovascular disease. Demographic and anatomical factors may influence arterial diameters. We hypothesize that age, sex, height, total cranial volume (TCV), and persistent fetal posterior cerebral artery (fPCA) correlate with brain arterial diameters across populations. METHODS: Participants had a time-of-flight MRA from nine international cohorts. Arterial diameters of the cavernous internal carotid arteries (ICA), middle cerebral arteries (MCA), and basilar artery (BA) were measured using LAVA software. Regression models assessed the association between exposures and brain arterial diameters. RESULTS: We included 6,518 participants (mean age: 70 ± 9 years; 41% men). Unilateral fPCA was present in 13.2% and bilateral in 3.2%. Larger ICA, MCA, and BA diameters correlated with older age (Weighted average [WA] per 10 years: 0.18 mm, 0.11 mm, and 0.12 mm), male sex (WA: 0.24 mm, 0.13 mm, and 0.21 mm), and TCV (WA: for one TCV standard deviation: 0.24 mm, 0.29 mm, and 0.18 mm). Unilateral and bilateral fPCAs showed a positive correlation with ICA diameters (WA: 0.39 mm and 0.73 mm) and negative correlation with BA diameters (WA: -0.88 mm and -1.73 mm). Regression models including age, sex, TCV, and fPCA explained on average 15%, 13%, and 25% of the ICA, MCA, and BA diameter interindividual variation, respectively. Using height instead of TCV as a surrogate of head size decreased the R-squared by 3% on average. CONCLUSION: Brain arterial diameters correlated with age, sex, TCV, and fPCA. These factors should be considered when defining abnormal diameter cutoffs across populations.

Transient increased risk of influenza infection following RSV infection in South Africa: findings from the PHIRST study, South Africa, 2016-2018.

BACKGROUND: Large-scale prevention of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection may have ecological consequences for co-circulating pathogens, including influenza. We assessed if and for how long RSV infection alters the risk for subsequent influenza infection. METHODS: We analysed a prospective longitudinal cohort study conducted in South Africa between 2016 and 2018. For participating households, nasopharyngeal samples were taken twice weekly, irrespective of symptoms, across three respiratory virus seasons, and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to identify infection with RSV and/or influenza. We fitted an individual-level hidden Markov transmission model in order to estimate RSV and influenza infection rates and their interdependence. RESULTS: Of a total of 122,113 samples collected, 1265 (1.0%) were positive for influenza and 1002 (0.8%) positive for RSV, with 15 (0.01%) samples from 12 individuals positive for both influenza and RSV. We observed a 2.25-fold higher incidence of co-infection than expected if assuming infections were unrelated. We estimated that infection with influenza is 2.13 (95% CI 0.97-4.69) times more likely when already infected with, and for a week following, RSV infection, adjusted for age. This equates to 1.4% of influenza infections that may be attributable to RSV in this population. Due to the local seasonality (RSV season precedes the influenza season), we were unable to estimate changes in RSV infection risk following influenza infection. CONCLUSIONS: We find no evidence to suggest that RSV was associated with a subsequent reduced risk of influenza infection. Instead, we observed an increased risk for influenza infection for a short period after infection. However, the impact on population-level transmission dynamics of this individual-level synergistic effect was not measurable in this setting.

Navigating Life With HIV as an Older Adult on the Kenyan Coast: Perceived Health Challenges Seen Through the Biopsychosocial Model.

Objectives: This study explores the perceptions of adults living with HIV aged ≥50 years (recognized as older adults living with HIV-OALWH), primary caregivers and healthcare providers on the health challenges of ageing with HIV at Kilifi, a low literacy setting on the coast of Kenya. Methods: We utilized the biopsychosocial model to explore views from 34 OALWH and 22 stakeholders on the physical, mental, and psychosocial health challenges of ageing with HIV in Kilifi in 2019. Data were drawn from semi-structured in-depth interviews, which were audio-recorded and transcribed. A framework approach was used to synthesize the data. Results: Symptoms of common mental disorders, comorbidities, somatic symptoms, financial difficulties, stigma, and discrimination were viewed as common. There was also an overlap of perceived risk factors across the physical, mental, and psychosocial health domains, including family conflicts and poverty. Conclusion: OALWH at the Kenyan coast are perceived to be at risk of multiple physical, mental, and psychosocial challenges. Future research should quantify the burden of these challenges and examine the resources available to these adults.

Exploratory validation of relationship functioning and non-pregnant partner behavior scales in pregnant people living with HIV in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa.

Partner engagement in antenatal care can improve care for pregnant people living with HIV. However, concerns about engaging unsupportive non-pregnant partners warrant further study to avoid engaging partners who pressure their pregnant partner to refuse testing or treatment and/or perpetuate intimate partner violence. We adapted established relationship functioning and partner behaviour questionnaires among pregnant people living with HIV initiating antenatal care in rural South Africa. We identified 13 previously validated psychometric scales with 255 items that assess relationship functioning and partner behaviour, but, to our knowledge, had not been used in Southern Africa. After item translation and cognitive interviewing with 30 pregnant people, we recruited an additional 208 pregnant people living with HIV receiving antenatal care. We conducted an exploratory factor analysis with maximum-likelihood extraction and oblique promax rotation with the 58 items and 10 scales that remained after translation and cognitive interviewing. We used parallel analysis, scree plots, and the Kaiser criterion to guide factor retention and assessed internal factor consistency via Cronbach's alpha. Of the 208 participants recruited, 197 (95%) answered each question and were included in the analysis. Exploratory factor analysis revealed 7 factors that assessed partner social support, sexual relationship power, emotional intimacy, threatened or enacted violence, sexual intimacy, violence in relationships, and partner engagement in pregnancy care via 37 items. Factor absolute Spearman correlations ranged from 0.012 to 0.518 and Cronbach's alpha ranged from 0.84 to 0.92. This preliminary analysis will guide further scale development. Future developments will also include relevant clinical outcomes to assess the predictive validity of the resulting measures. These steps will further refine these questions into a succinct screening tool to assess relationship functioning and partner behaviour. This screening tool may eventually guide the selection of partner-based interventions during pregnancy to improve outcomes for pregnant people and their partners.

Violence Related to Daily Water and Sanitation Needs in South Africa.

There is a critical lack of research on violence experienced by women when meeting their daily water and sanitation needs. This short report describes the cumulative lifetime incidence of exposure to violence when using the toilet or collecting water (water, sanitation, and hygiene [WASH]-related violence) and identifies associated health and behavioral risks. Data from 1,870 participants collected in 2013-2015 from a longitudinal cohort of young women in rural South Africa were included in this analysis. We found that exposure to WASH-related violence was high: 25.9% experienced violence when collecting water or when using the toilet. Those who experienced violence were more likely to report pregnancy, an older partner, unprotected sex, experience of intimate partner violence, engaging in transactional sex, depressive symptoms, and anxiety. Future research should investigate the location and type of violence experienced and examine how WASH-related violence is related to health outcomes to identify gender-centered WASH interventions that reduce violence exposure.

The adolescent HIV executive function and drumming (AHEAD) study, a feasibility trial of a group drumming intervention amongst adolescents with HIV.

AHEAD feasibility trial assessed the feasibility and acceptability of an 8-session group drumming programme aiming to improve executive function, depression and anxiety symptoms, and perceived social support in adolescents living with HIV in a rural low-income South African setting. Sixty-eight 12- to 19-year-old adolescents participated. They were individually randomised. The intervention arm (n = 34) received weekly hour-long group drumming sessions. Controls (n = 34) received no intervention. Feasibility and acceptability were assessed using rates of: enrolment; retention; attendance; logistical problems; adolescent-reported acceptability. Secondary measures included: five Oxford Cognitive Screen-Executive Function (OCS-EF) tasks; two Rapid Assessment of Cognitive and Emotional Regulation (RACER) tasks; the Self-Reporting Questionnaire-20 (SRQ-20) measuring depression and anxiety symptoms; the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). All feasibility criteria were within green progression limits. Enrolment, retention, and acceptability were high. There was a positive effect on adolescent depressed mood with signal for a working memory effect. There were no significant effects on executive function or socio-emotional scales. Qualitative findings suggested socio-emotional benefits including: group belonging; decreased internalised stigma; improved mood; decreased anxiety. Group drumming is a feasible and acceptable intervention amongst adolescents living with HIV in rural South Africa. A full-scale trial is recommended.

Women want male partner engagement in antenatal care services: A qualitative study of pregnant women from rural South Africa.

INTRODUCTION: Evidence strongly shows that a supportive, involved male partner facilitates maternal HIV testing during pregnancy, increases maternal antiretroviral (ART) adherence and increases HIV-free infant survival. Partner engagement in antenatal care (ANC) is influential; however, the most effective strategy to engage male partners is currently unknown. Engaging pregnant women to understand whether male partner involvement is welcome in ANC, what this involvement entails and how best to invite their partner is an important first step in determining how best to engage male partners. METHODS: We interviewed 36 pregnant women receiving ANC services at a district hospital in rural Mpumalanga, South Africa to assess the strengths and weaknesses of their current relationship, the type of partner support they receive, whether they would like their male partner to be involved in their ANC, and how best to invite their male partner to their appointments. We conducted a thematic analysis of the qualitative interviews using MAXQDA software. RESULTS: Financial, emotional, and physical support were noted as important aspects of support currently provided by male partners, with most pregnant women wanting their partners to engage in ANC services during pregnancy. Preferred engagement strategies included participation in couple-based HIV testing and counseling, regular ANC appointment attendance, and delivery room presence. Women who reported a positive relationship with her partner were more likely to prefer inviting their partner without health facility assistance, while those who reported challenges in their relationship preferred assistance through a letter or community health worker. Pregnant women perceived regular business hours (due to their partner being employed and unable to take off work) and having a partner involved in multiple relationships as barriers in getting their partner to attend ANC services. DISCUSSION: Rural South African women, even those in unsatisfactory relationships want their male partners to attend their ANC visits and birth. To make this possible, health facilities will have to tailor male partner engagement outreach strategies to the preferences and needs of the pregnant woman.

Pulmonary tuberculosis vs. Tindzhaka and Mafularha: A mixed methods inquiry of traditional healers' perceptions of tuberculosis in rural South Africa.

Although awareness of tuberculosis (TB) is high in South Africa, delays in TB testing or treatment persist. Even those with symptoms of TB often delay testing, with one study in Mpumalanga revealing a median allopathic care-seeking delay of four weeks. We sought to understand how traditional healers perceived TB symptoms among their patients, if they treated the disease, and what (if any) illnesses they defined as being traditional may have overlapping presentation with TB in South Africa. Nineteen traditional healers completed an in-depth interview (IDIs); 133 completed a quantitative survey about their treatment practices. IDIs focused on lung diseases treated, disease causation, treatment, and prognosis. Survey questions investigated diagnosis of lung ailments, including those treated by the allopathic health system and those by traditional healers. Traditional healers reported that they could differentiate between TB and traditional illnesses, like Tindzhaka and Mafularha, that presented with similar symptoms. Few (7.5%) believed they could treat TB, but the majority (72.9%) believed they could successfully treat Tindzhaka and Mafularha. Tindzhaka and Mafularha are interconnected illnesses that are reportedly caused by breaking social rules around death, sex and using the belongings of someone who recently passed away. Both, if not treated, are considered fatal. While we have no definitive data, traditional healers may be contributing to delays in the diagnosis and treatment for people with active TB by incorrectly diagnosing TB as Tindzhaka or Mafularha. Overcoming issues of trust and compensation, while respecting different forms of knowledge, are some of the challenges we face in successfully engaging with healers.

Feasibility of an online consensus approach for the diagnosis of cognitive impairment and dementia in rural South Africa.

INTRODUCTION: We describe the development and feasibility of using an online consensus approach for diagnosing cognitive impairment and dementia in rural South Africa. METHODS: Cognitive assessments, clinical evaluations, and informant interviews from Cognition and Dementia in the Health and Aging in Africa Longitudinal Study (HAALSI Dementia) were reviewed by an expert panel using a web-based platform to assign a diagnosis of cognitively normal, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or dementia. RESULTS: Six hundred thirty-five participants were assigned a final diagnostic category, with 298 requiring adjudication conference calls. Overall agreement between each rater's independent diagnosis and final diagnosis (via the portal or consensus conference) was 78.3%. A moderate level of agreement between raters' individual ratings and the final diagnostic outcomes was observed (average κ coefficient = 0.50). DISCUSSION: Findings show initial feasibility in using an online consensus approach for the diagnosis of cognitive impairment and dementia in remote, rural, and low-resource settings.

Significant Improvement in Blood Pressure Levels Among Older Adults With Hypertension in Rural South Africa.

BACKGROUND: Sub-Saharan Africa is undergoing an epidemiologic transition from infectious diseases to cardiovascular diseases. From 2014 to 2019, sociodemographic surveillance was performed in a large cohort in rural South Africa. METHODS: Disease prevalence and incidence were calculated using inverse probability weights. Poisson regression was used to identify disease predictors. The percentage of individuals with controlled (<140/90 mm Hg) versus uncontrolled hypertension was compared between 2014 and 2019. RESULTS: Compared with 2014 (n=5059), study participants in 2019 (n=4176) had similar rates of obesity (mean body mass index, 27.5±10.0 versus 27.0±6.5) but higher smoking (9.1% versus 11.5%) and diabetes (11.1% versus 13.9%). There was no significant increase in hypertension prevalence (58.4% versus 59.8%; age adjusted, 64.3% versus 63.3%), and there was a significant reduction in mean systolic blood pressure (138.0 versus 128.5 mm Hg; P<0.001). Among hypertensive individuals who reported medication use in 2014 and 2019 (n=796), the proportion with controlled hypertension on medication increased from 44.5% to 62.3%. Hypertension incidence was 6.2 per 100 person-years, and age was the only independent predictor. Among normotensive individuals in 2014 (n=2257), 15.2% developed hypertension by 2019, with the majority already controlled on medications by 2019. CONCLUSIONS: The hypertension prevalence and incidence are plateauing in this aging cohort. There was a statistically and clinically significant decline in mean blood pressure and a substantial increase in individuals with controlled hypertension on medication. The prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors did not decrease over time, suggesting that the blood pressure decrease is likely due to increased medication access and adherence, promoted by local health systems.

Prevalence and factors associated with mild depressive and anxiety symptoms in older adults living with HIV from the Kenyan coast.

INTRODUCTION: Empirical research on the burden and determinants of common mental disorders (CMDs), especially depression and anxiety, among older adults living with HIV (OALWH) in sub-Saharan Africa is inadequate. To bridge the gap in Kenya we: (1) determined the prevalence of CMDs among OALWH on routine HIV care compared to HIV-negative peers; (2) investigated HIV status as an independent predictor of CMDs in older adults; and (3) investigated CMD determinants. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study conducted between 2020 and 2021, the prevalence of CMDs and associated determinants were investigated at the Kenyan coast among 440 adults aged ≥50 years (257 OALWH). The Patient Health Questionnaire and Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale were administered alongside measures capturing biopsychosocial information. Logistic regression was used to examine the correlates of CMDs. RESULTS: No significant differences were found in the prevalence of mild depressive symptoms, 23.8% versus 18.2% (p = 0.16) and mild anxiety symptoms, 11.7% versus 7.2% (p = 0.12) among OALWH compared to HIV-negative peers, respectively. HIV status was not independently predictive of CMDs. Among OALWH, higher perceived HIV-related stigma, ageism, increasing household HIV burden, loneliness, increasing functional disability, sleeping difficulties, chronic fatigue and advanced age (>70 years) were associated with elevated CMDs. Among HIV-negative older adults, loneliness, increased medication burden and sleeping difficulties were associated with elevated depressive symptoms. Easier access to HIV care was the only factor associated with lower CMDs among OALWH. CONCLUSIONS: On the Kenyan coast, the burden of moderate and severe CMDs among older adults is low; however, both OALWH and their HIV-negative peers have a similar relatively high burden of mild depressive and anxiety symptoms. Our results also suggest that determinants of CMDs among OALWH in this setting are predominantly psychosocial factors. These results highlight the need for psychosocial interventions (at the family, community and clinical levels) to mitigate the risks of mild CMDs as they are known to be potentially debilitating.

Associations between WASH-related violence and depressive symptoms in adolescent girls and young women in South Africa (HPTN 068): a cross-sectional analysis.

OBJECTIVE: There is a lack of research on experiences of WASH-related violence. This study aims to quantify the association between experience or worry of violence when using the toilet or collecting water and depressive symptoms among a cohort of young women in South Africa. METHODS: Data are from visit 3 of the HPTN 068 cohort of adolescent girls in rural Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. Participants (n=1798) included in this analysis were aged 13-21 at baseline. Lifetime experience of violence or fear of violence when using the toilet and collecting water was collected by self-report; depressive symptoms in the past week were measured using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). We used G-computation to calculate the prevalence difference (PD) and prevalence ratio of depression (CES-D score >15) associated with each domain of violence, controlling for baseline covariates. FINDINGS: A total of 15.1% of respondents reported experiencing violence when using the toilet; 17.1% reported experiencing violence when collecting water and 26.7% reported depression. In adjusted models, those who reported experiencing violence when using the toilet had an 18.1% higher prevalence of depression (95% CI: 11.6% to 24.4%) than those who did not experience violence when using the toilet. Adjusted prevalence of depression was also higher among those who reported violence when collecting water (PD 11.9%, 95% CI: 6.7% to 17.2%), and who worried about violence when using the toilet (PD 12.8%, 95% CI: 7.9% to 19.8%), as compared with those who did not report these experiences. Worrying about violence when collecting water was not associated with depression after adjusting for covariates. CONCLUSION: Experience of WASH-related violence is common among young women in rural South Africa, and experience or worry of experiencing violence is associated with higher prevalence of depressive symptoms. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT01233531; Post-results.

Short- and long-read metagenomics of urban and rural South African gut microbiomes reveal a transitional composition and undescribed taxa.

Human gut microbiome research focuses on populations living in high-income countries and to a lesser extent, non-urban agriculturalist and hunter-gatherer societies. The scarcity of research between these extremes limits our understanding of how the gut microbiota relates to health and disease in the majority of the world's population. Here, we evaluate gut microbiome composition in transitioning South African populations using short- and long-read sequencing. We analyze stool from adult females living in rural Bushbuckridge (n = 118) or urban Soweto (n = 51) and find that these microbiomes are taxonomically intermediate between those of individuals living in high-income countries and traditional communities. We demonstrate that reference collections are incomplete for characterizing microbiomes of individuals living outside high-income countries, yielding artificially low beta diversity measurements, and generate complete genomes of undescribed taxa, including Treponema, Lentisphaerae, and Succinatimonas. Our results suggest that the gut microbiome of South Africans does not conform to a simple "western-nonwestern" axis and contains undescribed microbial diversity.