Support mechanisms for research generation and application for postgraduate students in four universities in Uganda.

BACKGROUND: A large proportion of postgraduate students the world over complete a research thesis in partial fulfilment of their degree requirements. This study identified and evaluated support mechanisms for research generation and utilization for masters' students in health institutions of higher learning in Uganda. METHODS: This was a self-administered cross-sectional survey using a modified self-assessment tool for research institutes (m-SATORI). Postgraduate students were randomly selected from four medical or public health Ugandan universities at Makerere, Mbarara, Nkozi and Mukono and asked to circle the most appropriate response on a Likert scale from 1, where the "situation was unfavourable and/or there was a need for an intervention", to 5, where the "situation was good or needed no intervention". These questions were asked under four domains: the research question; knowledge production, knowledge transfer and promoting use of evidence. Mean scores of individual questions and aggregate means under the four domains were computed and then compared to identify areas of strengths and gaps that required action. RESULTS: Most of the respondents returned their questionnaires, 185 of 258 (71.7%), and only 79 of these (42.7%) had their theses submitted for examination. The majority of the respondents were male (57.3%), married or cohabiting (58.4%), and were medical doctors (71.9%) from Makerere University (50.3%). The domain proposal development for postgraduate research project had the highest mean score of 3.53 out of the maximum 5. Three of the four domains scored below the mid-level domain score of 3, that is, the situation is neither favourable nor unfavourable. Areas requiring substantial improvements included priority-setting during research question identification, which had the lowest mean score of 2.12. This was followed by promoting use of postgraduate research products, tying at mean scores of 2.28 each. The domain knowledge transfer of postgraduate research products had an above-average mean score of 2.75. CONCLUSIONS: This study reports that existing research support mechanisms for postgraduate students in Uganda encourage access to supervisors and mentors during proposal development. Postgraduate students' engagement with research users was limited in priority-setting and knowledge transfer. Since supervisors and mentors views were not captured, future follow-on research could tackle this aspect.

Use of post-graduate students' research in evidence informed health policies: a case study of Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Uganda.

BACKGROUND: World over, stakeholders are increasingly concerned about making research useful in public policy-making. However, there are hardly any reports linking production of research by students at institutions of higher learning to its application in society. We assessed whether and how post-graduate students' research was used in evidence-informed health policies. METHODS: This is a multiple case study of master's students' dissertations at Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS) produced between 1996 and 2010. In a structured review, we applied a theoretical framework of 'research use' and used content analysis to map how research was used in public policy documents. We categorised content of these documents according to the health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDG). We defined a case of 'use' as citation of research products from a master's student's dissertation in a public policy-related document. RESULTS: We found 22 cases of research use in policy-related documents (0.5%) out of a total 4230 citations from 16 of 1172 total dissertations (1.4%). Additionally, research was mostly cited in primary studies (95.4%), systematic reviews (3%), narrative reviews (0.8%) and cost-effectiveness analyses (0.2%). Research was predominantly used instrumentally, to either frame the problem (burden of disease or health condition) or select an intervention (treatment or diagnostic option) and rarely symbolically to justify strategies already selected. The bulk of the cases of research use addressed child health (MDG 4), focusing on infectious diseases (MDG 6), mainly in international clinical or public health guidelines, working papers, a consensus statement and a global report. We distilled 'synergistic relationships' among organisations or interest groups, 'globalisation of local evidence', 'trade-offs' in the use of research and use of 'negative results' from the documents and text content. CONCLUSIONS: Research from dissertations of post-graduate students at MakCHS is used in evidence-informed health policies, particularly for infectious diseases in child health. Further, we have delineated pathways of research use in the global arena and highlighted the importance of 'negative results' from dissertations of post-graduate students at MakCHS.

A systematic review on academic research productivity of postgraduate students in low- and middle-income countries.

BACKGROUND: While several individual studies addressing research productivity of post-graduate students are available, a synthesis of effective strategies to increase productivity and the determinants of productivity in low-income countries has not been undertaken. Further, whether or not this research from post-graduate students' projects was applied in evidence-informed decision-making was unknown. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review of literature to identify and assess the effectiveness of approaches that increase productivity (proportion published) or the application (proportion cited) of post-graduate students' research, as well as to assess the determinants of post-graduate students' research productivity and use. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review as per our a priori published protocol, also registered in PROSPERO (CRD42016042819). We searched for published articles in PubMed/MEDLINE and the ERIC databases through to July 2017. We performed duplicate assessments for included primary studies and resolved discrepancies by consensus. Thereafter, we completed a structured narrative synthesis and, for a subset of studies, we performed a meta-analysis of the findings using both fixed and random effects approaches. We aligned our results to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. RESULTS: We found 5080 articles in the PubMed (n = 3848) and ERIC (n = 1232) databases. After excluding duplicates (n = 33), we screened 5047 articles, of which 5012 were excluded. We then retrieved 44 full texts and synthesised 14, of which 4 had a high risk of bias. We did not find any studies assessing effectiveness of strategies for increasing publication nor citations of post-graduate research projects. We found an average publication proportion of 7% (95% CI 7-8%, Higgins I-squared 0.0% and Cochran's Q p < 0.01) and 23% (95% CI 17-29%, Higgins I-squared of 98.4% and Cochran's Q, p < 0.01) using fixed effects and random effects models, respectively. Two studies reported on the citation of post-graduate students' studies, at 17% (95% CI 15-19%) in Uganda and a median citation of 1 study in Turkey (IQR 0.6-2.3). Only one included study reported on the determinants of productivity or use of post-graduate students' research, suggesting that younger students were more likely to publish and cohort studies were more likely to be published. CONCLUSIONS: We report on the low productivity of post-graduate students' research in low- and middle-income countries, including the citation of post-graduate students' research in evidence-informed health policy in low- and middle-income countries. Secondly, we did not find a single study that assessed strategies to increase productivity and use of post-graduate students' research in evidence-informed health policy, a subject for future research.

Where is students' research in evidence-informed decision-making in health? Assessing productivity and use of postgraduate students' research in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Investing in research that is not accessible or used is a waste of resources and an injustice to human subject participants. Post-graduate students' research in institutions of higher learning involves considerable time, effort and money, warranting evaluation of the return on investment. Although individual studies addressing research productivity of post-graduate students are available, a synthesis of these results in low-income settings has not been undertaken. Our first aim is to identify the types of approaches that increase productivity and those that increase the application of medical post-graduate students' research and to assess their effectiveness. Our second aim is to assess the determinants of post-graduate students' research productivity. METHODS: We propose a two-stage systematic review. We will electronically search for published and grey literature in PubMed/MEDLINE and the ERIC databases, as well as contact authors, research administration units of universities, and other key informants as appropriate. In stage one, we will map the nature of the evidence available using a knowledge translation framework adapted from existing literature. We will perform duplicate screening and selection of articles, data abstraction, and risk of bias assessments for included primary studies as described in the Cochrane handbook for systematic reviews. Our primary outcome is publication output as a measure of research productivity, whilst we defined research use as citations in peer-reviewed journals or policy-related documents as our secondary outcome. In stage two, we will perform a structured narrative synthesis of the findings and advance to quantitative meta-analysis if the number of studies are adequate and their heterogeneity is low. Adapting the Grading, Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach, we will assess the overall quality of evidence for effects, and report our results in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. DISCUSSION: We will share our findings with universities, other training institutions, civil society, funders as well as government departments in charge of education and health particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

Academic research productivity of post-graduate students at Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Uganda, from 1996 to 2010: a retrospective review.

BACKGROUND: Research is a core business of universities globally, and is crucial in the scientific process as a precursor for knowledge uptake and use. We aimed to assess the academic productivity of post-graduate students in a university located in a low-income country. METHODS: This is an observational retrospective documentary analysis using hand searching archives, Google Scholar and PubMed electronic databases. The setting is Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Uganda. Records of post-graduate students (Masters) enrolled from 1996 to 2010, and followed to 2016 for outcomes were analysed. The outcome measures were publications (primary), citations, electronic dissertations found online or conference abstracts (secondary). Descriptive and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed using Stata 14.1. RESULTS: We found dissertations of 1172 Masters students over the 20-year period of study. While half (590, 50%) had completed clinical graduate disciplines (surgery, internal medicine, paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology), Master of Public Health was the single most popular course, with 393 students (31%). Manuscripts from 209 dissertations (18%; 95% CI, 16-20%) were published and approximately the same proportion was cited (196, 17%; 95% CI, 15-19%). Very few (4%) policy-related documents (technical reports and guidelines) cited these dissertations. Variables that remained statistically significant in the multivariable model were students' age at enrolment into the Masters programme (adjusted coefficient -0.12; 95% CI, -0.18 to -0.06; P < 0.001) and type of research design (adjusted coefficient 0.22; 0.03 to 0.40; P = 0.024). Cohort studies were more likely to be published compared to cross-sectional designs (adjusted coefficient 0.78; 95% CI, 0.2 to 1.36; P = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: The productivity and use of post-graduate students' research conducted at the College of Health Sciences Makerere University is considerably low in terms of peer-reviewed publications and citations in policy-related documents. The need for effective strategies to reverse this 'waste' is urgent if the College, decision-makers, funders and the Ugandan public are to enjoy the 'return on investment' from post-graduate students research.

An Association of Quality of Life and Ageing Perceptions among Community Dwelling Older Adults in Uganda.

Background: Uganda's population, though, largely characterized by young people, has seen the number of people aged 60 and over grow from 686,000 twenty years ago, to 1,433,596 in 2014. Effective caring for the well-being of this population requires strategic and deliberate planning that involves Quality Of Life (QoL) assessments. QoL assessments among the elderly are important in evaluating the efficacy of strategies, such as health interventions, welfare programs, health care and well-being of the elderly. However, elderly in Uganda face several challenges, ranging from loneliness, poor housing, lack of social and financial support and poor health. These may negatively affect older persons' quality of life and consequently their perceptions and attitudes towards aging. Methods: The study was carried out in 2019 in the communities of Nansana and Busukuma town councils in Wakiso district, Uganda. The participants were 380 people 60 years and older. To establish the association between perceptions of ageing and QoL, this study utilized a locally adapted version of the Older Person's Quality of Life Questionnaire (OPQOL) and the Brief Ageing Perceptions Questionnaire (B-APQ). The OPQOL assesses three domains of QoL: Health QoL (HQoL); Social economic QoL (SQoL); and Psychosocial QoL (PQoL). The B-APQ assesses perceptions about physical age, participation in social activities, and perceptions about ability to regulate emotions as one ages. Pearson's Chi-square tests were used to characterize the relationship between the perceptions and quality of life. Results: The majority of the respondents, 61% (95%CI 56.7-64.8), had negative perceptions towards ageing. Eighty six percent had poor HQoL, 90% poor SQoL and 83% poor PQoL. There was a significant association between good HQoL and positive perception about participation in social activities (X2 = 7.3670, P = 0.007) as well as with positive perception on regulation of emotions (X2 = 18.1803, P<0.001). There was a significant association between good SQoL and positive perception about participation in social activities (X2 = 5.3472, P = 0.021), as well with positive perception on regulation of emotions (X2 = 10.5128, P<0.001). A significant association between good PQoL and positive perception on regulation of emotions (X2 = 9.2414, P= 0.002). Conclusion: Positive perceptions of ageing are associated with good QoL. Directly addressing perceptions of ageing could be a low cost and effective strategy to improve the QoL of older persons in SSA.

Xpert® MTB/RIF associated with improved treatment initiation among patients with smear-negative tuberculosis.

BACKGROUND: Delayed diagnosis and treatment initiation of smear-negative tuberculosis (TB) patients can lead to increased morbidity and mortality, particularly among those co-infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). OBJECTIVE: To compare TB treatment initiation among smear-negative presumptive TB patients in the 6 months before and after the introduction of Xpert® MTB/RIF testing at five rural tertiary hospitals in Uganda. METHODS: Patient records of the dates and results of sputum analysis were extracted from TB laboratory registers and linked to those on treatment initiation as indicated in the TB treatment registers. The proportion of smear-negative presumptive patients who initiated anti-tuberculosis treatment was compared before and after Xpert implementation using χ² tests. Time to treatment was analysed using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. RESULTS: Records from 3658 patients were analysed, 1894 before and 1764 after the introduction of Xpert testing. After the introduction of Xpert, 25% (437/1764) of smear-negative presumptive TB patients underwent testing. The proportion initiated on anti-tuberculosis treatment increased from 5.9% (112/1894) to 10.8% (190/1764) (P < 0.01). However, 37% (32/87) of patients with a confirmed TB diagnosis did not initiate treatment. Time to TB treatment initiation improved from 8 to 3.5 days between the study periods. CONCLUSION: Xpert testing was associated with improved TB treatment initiation among smear-negative presumptive TB patients. Improved utilisation and linkage to treatment could improve the impact of this test on patient-centred outcomes.

Equitable Access to Health Professional Training in Uganda: A Cross Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVE: We set out to assess inequalities to access health professional education, and the impact of an education improvement program supported by MEPI (Medical Education Partnership Initiative). Inequalities in the higher education system in sub-Saharan Africa remain despite some transformative policies and affirmative action. METHODS: We reviewed enrollment data from four universities for the period 2001-2014 for various health professional training programs, and conducted group discussions through an iterative process with selected stakeholders, and including a group of education experts. Two time periods, 2001-2010 and 2011-2014, were considered. In 2010-11, the MEPI education program began. Gender ratios, regional representation, secondary schools, and the number of admissions by university and year were analysed. We used SPSS version 17 software to analyse these data with level of significance p < 0.05. We collated qualitative data along predetermined and emerging themes. RESULTS: The overall male-to-female ratio among the student population was 2.3:1. In total, there were 7,023 admissions, 4,403 between 2001-2010 (440 per annum) and 2,620 between 2011-2014 (655 per annum) with p = 0.018. There were no significant increases in admissions in the central and western regions over the two time periods, 1,708 to 849 and 1,113 to 867 respectively, both p = 0.713 and p = 0.253. We propose improving the university admission criteria and increasing enrollment to health professions training schools. CONCLUSION: There were significant inequalities for higher education training in Uganda by gender, regional representation and school attended. Modifying the admission criteria and increasing enrollment may reduce these inequalities.

Care of HIV-infected people in the developing world: practical aspects.

PIP: This article focuses on some practical aspects on the care of HIV-infected people in the developing world. Perception of HIV infection is changing. In developing countries, health care providers have the ethical obligation to care for HIV patients even with the scarcity of resources. Considering the complex administrative, medical, political, economic and ethical issues involved in providing care, a national strategy with treatment guidelines is an important component of AIDS programs. Moreover, constraints in resources and the local sociocultural aspects should be taken into account when choosing strategies. Treatment strategies should emphasize a compassionate, low technology, and cost-effective care. This paper explores on the diagnostic process and treatment of HIV/AIDS. To maximize efficiency and ensure treatment continuity, care of HIV patients should observe the following levels of care: home and community-based care, HIV clinic care, and in-patient care. Though, there is no cure for HIV infection, the disease can be treated, thereby improving the overall quality of life of the patient, provided there is a will, love and compassion on the part of caregivers.^ieng

HIV risk factors in three geographic strata of rural Rakai District, Uganda.

OBJECTIVES: To examine risk factors for HIV-1 infection in three geographic strata (main road trading centers that service local and international traffic, small trading villages on secondary dirt roads that serve as foci for local communications, and agricultural villages off main and secondary roads) in Rakai District, Uganda. DESIGN AND METHODS: Serological, sociodemographic, knowledge/behaviors and health survey conducted in 21 randomly selected community clusters; complete data were collected for 1292 consenting adults. RESULTS: Fifteen per cent of the men and 24% of the women were HIV-1-positive. On univariate analysis, several sociodemographic and behavioral factors were significantly associated with risk of HIV infection, including age, place of residence, travel, occupation, marital status, number of sex partners, sex for money or gifts, history of sexually transmitted disease (STD), and history of injections. On multivariate analysis, age, residence and number of sex partners remained significantly associated with HIV infection in both sexes; a history of STD and not having been circumcised were significant in men. There was a significant interaction between place of residence and reported number of sex partners: for any given level of sexual activity, the risk of HIV infection was markedly increased if the background community prevalence was high. CONCLUSION: Sexual transmission appears to be the primary behavioral risk factor for infection, but the risks associated with this factor vary substantially between the three geographic strata. These data can be used to design targeted interventions.

The social dynamics of HIV transmission as reflected through discordant couples in rural Uganda.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the role of men and women as sources of HIV transmission and to estimate HIV incidence among discordant couples resident in diverse rural communities in Uganda. SETTING: Rakai, a rural district in Uganda, East Africa. METHODS: A population-based cohort study, which has been conducted as annual serological and behavioral surveys since 1989. Community clusters were stratified into trading centers on main roads, intermediate trading villages on secondary roads and agricultural villages off roads. In the 1990 survey round, serological data were available for 79 discordant and 411 concordant HIV-negative couples aged 13-49 years. The present analysis examines sex-specific seropositivity associated with place of residence and the incidence of seroconversion among discordant couples between 1990 and 1991. RESULTS: Seventy-nine discordant couples were followed; the HIV-positive partner was male in 44 couples (57%) and female in 35 couples (43%). There was marked variation in the sex of the seropositive partner by place of residence: women were the HIV-positive partner in 57% of couples from trading centers, 52% from intermediate villages, and 20% from agricultural communities (P < 0.008). Condom use was higher in discordant couples in which the man was the uninfected partner (17.1%) rather than the woman (9.5%). HIV-positive women, but not HIV-positive men, reported significantly more sexual partners and more genital ulcers than seronegative individuals of the same sex. Seroincidence rates among men and women in discordant relationship were 8.7 and 9.2 per 100 person-years (PY), respectively, which was much higher than in concordant seronegative couples (men, 0.82; women, 0.87 per 100 PY). CONCLUSIONS: In this Ugandan population, men are the predominant source of new infections in rural villages. Risk factors and preventive behaviors vary with the sex of the infected partner, and seroconversion rates are similar in both sexes.

PIP: The analysis of marital relationships in rural Uganda in which one partner is infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) revealed important information about the social dynamics of HIV transmission. As part of an ongoing cohort study of over 3000 adults in southwestern Uganda's Rakai district, data were collected on 79 discordant couples. The HIV-infected partner was male in 44 couples (57%) and female in 35 couples (43%). In the trading centers and intermediate trading villages, women were more likely to be the HIV-infected partner (57% and 52%, respectively); in rural areas, however, the male partner was the HIV carrier in 80% of discordant couples. 14.3% of women in female HIV-positive compared to only 2.1% of those in male HIV-positive discordant relationships reported two or more sexual partners in the year preceding the interview; there was no significant difference on this factor among HIV-positive and HIV-negative men (48.8% and 45,7%, respectively). 17.1% of seronegative men with HIV-infected wives compared to only 9.5% of seropositive men with seronegative wives used condoms with their partner. During the one-year study period, the rate of seroconversion was 8.7/100 years of observation for men and 9.2 for women. Extrapolation of the data from this study to the district as a whole suggests that 18.7% of couples have at least one HIV-infected member. Needed are campaigns to promote monogamy and condom use, particularly among men from rural areas who travel to high prevalence trading areas.

HIV infection through normal heterosexual contact in Uganda.

One hundred and fourteen household contacts of 23 patients with AIDS or suspected AIDS were examined for evidence of infection with HIV. In total 12 contacts had antibodies to the virus by a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), confirmed by Western blot. Ten of these seropositive contacts were the sexual partners of the index cases. Overall 71% of sexual partners (10:14) were seropositive. By contrast only 2:100 of the non-sexual contacts had evidence of infection. These were the daughter of an index case and her 2-year-old son who were seropositive but had their own independent risk factors. The data presented here support the hypothesis that a major route of transmission of HIV in an African population is through heterosexual contact and furthermore suggest that transmission by other means such as intimate non-sexual contact, insect vectors, or the use of non-sterile needles is much less important.

Trends in HIV-1 prevalence may not reflect trends in incidence in mature epidemics: data from the Rakai population-based cohort, Uganda.

OBJECTIVES: To assess whether trends in serial HIV-1 prevalence reflect trend in HIV incidence, and to decompose the effects of HIV-1 incidence, mortality, mobility and compliance on HIV-1 prevalence in a population-based cohort. DESIGN: Two-year follow up (1990-1992) of an open cohort of all adults aged 15-59 years, resident in a sample of 31 representative community clusters in rural Rakai District, Uganda. METHODS: A detailed household enumeration was concluded at baseline and in each subsequent year. All household residents were listed, and all deaths and in- and out-migrations that occurred in the intersurvey year wee recorded. In each year, all consenting adults were interviewed and provided a serological sample; 2591 adults aged 15-59 years were enrolled at baseline. RESULTS: HIV prevalence among adults declined significantly 1990 and 1992 (23.4% at baseline, 21.8% in 1991, 20.9% in 1992; P < 0.05). Declining prevalence was also observed in subgroups, including young adults aged 15-24 years (from 20.6 to 16.2% over 3 years; P < 0.02), women of reproductive age (from 27.1 to 23.5%; P < 0.05), and pregnant women (from 25.4 to 20.0%; not significant), However, HIV incidence did not change significantly among all adults aged 15-59 years (2.1 +/- 0.4 per 100 person-years of observation (PYO) in 1990-1991 and 2.0 +/- 0.3 per 100 PYO in 1991-1992], nor in population subgroups. HIV-related mortality was high (13.5 per 100 PYO among the HIV-positive), removing more infected persons that were added by seroconversion. Net out-migration also removed substantial numbers of HIV-positive individuals. CONCLUSIONS: In this mature HIV epidemic, HIV prevalence declined in the presence of stable and incidence. HIV-related mortality contributed most to the prevalence decline. Prevalence was not an adequate surrogate measure of incidence, limiting the utility or serial prevalence measures in assessing the dynamics of the HIV epidemic and in evaluating the impact of current preventive strategies.

PIP: Findings are reported from a 2-year follow-up study of an open cohort of people aged 15-59 years living in a sample of 31 representative community clusters in rural Rakai district, Uganda, to measure whether trends in serial HIV-1 prevalence reflect trends in HIV incidence, and to gain insight into the effects of HIV-1 incidence, mortality, mobility, and compliance upon HIV-1 prevalence. In each year of study, all consenting adults provided a serological sample and were interviewed; 2591 adults were enrolled at baseline. HIV prevalence among adults declined significantly between 1990 and 1992; from 23.4% in 1990, to 21.8% in 1991, and 20.9% in 1992. Declining prevalence was also observed in subgroups, including young adults aged 15-24 years from 20.6% to 16.2%, reproductive-age women from 27.1% to 23.5%, and pregnant women from 25.4% to 20.0%. The decline in HIV prevalence among pregnant women, however, is not significant. HIV incidence did not change significantly among all adults aged 15-59 years, nor in population subgroups. HIV-related mortality was 13.5/person-year of observation among those who were HIV-positive. Substantial numbers of HIV-infected individuals were also loss to emigration.

Demographic impact of HIV infection in rural Rakai district, Uganda: results of a population-based cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To examine HIV-1-related mortality and demographic impact in a high HIV prevalence rural district of Uganda. DESIGN: One-year follow-up (1990-1991) in a population-based rural cohort. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Annual enumeration of all consenting residents of 1945 households in 31 randomly selected community clusters in Rakai District. Subjects provided yearly HIV serological samples, behavioral and health information. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Mortality in HIV-infected and uninfected persons. RESULTS: Mortality among HIV-seropositive adults aged > or = 15 years of 118.4 per 1000 person-years (PY) was substantially higher than in HIV-seronegative adults [12.4 per 1000 PY; relative risk (RR), 9.5; 95% confidence interval (CI), 6.0-14.9]. Infant mortality among offspring of HIV-infected mothers was almost double that for uninfected women (210 compared with 111 per 1000 live births; RR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.0-3.5). Adult HIV-related mortality was associated with HIV prevalence and, in this cohort, with higher education, non-agricultural occupation and residence in roadside trading centers. We estimate that adult HIV prevalence in the district is 13% and adult HIV attributable mortality 52%. For all ages combined, district HIV attributable mortality is 28%. CONCLUSION: HIV is the leading cause of adult death in Rakai. Its effects on mortality are particularly marked in the most economically active sectors. However, the overall crude birth rate in the district (45.7 per 1000 population) remains higher than the crude death rate (28.1 per 1000 population), resulting in continued rapid population growth.

HIV incidence and sexually transmitted disease prevalence associated with condom use: a population study in Rakai, Uganda.

OBJECTIVE: Evidence of condom effectiveness for HIV and sexually transmitted disease (STD) prevention is based primarily on high-risk populations. We examined condom effectiveness in a general population with high HIV prevalence in rural Africa. METHODS: Data were from a randomized community trial in Rakai, Uganda. Condom usage information was obtained prospectively from 17,264 sexually active individuals aged 15-59 years over a period of 30 months. HIV incidence and STD prevalence was determined for consistent and irregular condom users, compared to non-users. Adjusted rate ratios (RR) of HIV acquisition were estimated by Poisson multivariate regression, and odds ratios of STDs estimated by logistic regression. RESULTS: Only 4.4% reported consistent condom use and 16.5% reported inconsistent use during the prior year. Condom use was higher among males, and younger, unmarried and better educated individuals, and those reporting multiple sex partners or extramarital relationships. Consistent condom use significantly reduced HIV incidence [RR, 0.37; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.15-0.88], syphilis [odds ratio (OR), 0.71; 95% CI, 0.53-0.94] and gonorrhea/Chlamydia (OR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.25-0.97) after adjustment for socio-demographic and behavioral characteristics. Irregular condom use was not protective against HIV or STD and was associated with increased gonorrhea/Chlamydia risk (OR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.06-1.99). The population attributable fraction of consistent use for prevention of HIV was -4.5% (95% CI, -8.3 to 0.0), due to the low prevalence of consistent use in the population. CONCLUSIONS: Consistent condom use provides protection from HIV and STDs, whereas inconsistent use is not protective. Programs must emphasize consistent condom use for HIV and STD prevention.

Adolescents, sexual behaviour and HIV-1 in rural Rakai district, Uganda.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the epidemiology of HIV-1 infection among adolescents aged 13-19 years, in rural Rakai district, Uganda. STUDY DESIGN: Baseline survey and 2-year follow-up (1990-1992) of adolescents in a population-based, open rural cohort. METHODS: Annual enumeration and behavioral/serological survey of all consenting adolescents aged 13-19 years at recruitment, residing in 31 randomly selected community clusters. RESULTS: At baseline, of 909 adolescents present in study clusters, 824 (90.6%) provided interview data and serological samples. No adolescents aged 13-14 years were HIV-infected. Among those aged 15-19 years, 1.8% of men and 19.0% of women were HIV-positive. Among young women aged 15-19 years in marital/consensual union, 21.3% were HIV-positive; this rate did not differ significantly from the 29.1% prevalence in those reporting non-permanent relationships; prevalence was significantly lower in women reporting no current relationship (4.3%). After multivariate adjustment, female sex, age 17-19 years, residence in trading centers/trading villages and a history of sexually transmitted disease symptoms remained significantly associated with HIV infection. Seventy-nine per cent of adolescents provided a follow-up serological sample. No young men aged 13-14 years seroconverted during the study; in young women aged 13-14 years, HIV seroincidence was 0.6 per 100 person-years (PY) of observation. Among young men aged 15-19 years, there were 1.1 +/- 0.6 seroconversions per 100 PY of observation prior to age 21 years; among women 15-19 years, the incidence rate was 3.9 +/- 1.0 per 100 PY of observation prior to age 21 years. The mortality rate among HIV-positive adolescents aged 15-19 years, at 3.9 per 100 PY of observation, was 13-fold higher than that among the HIV-uninfected. By 1992, knowledge of sexual transmission was almost universal, the proportions reporting multiple partners had decreased and condom use had increased over baseline. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents, and young women in particular, are vulnerable to HIV infection. Despite reported behavioral changes, HIV incidence rates remain substantial, and there is a need for innovative HIV preventive measures.

Male circumcision and HIV acquisition and transmission: cohort studies in Rakai, Uganda. Rakai Project Team.

BACKGROUND: Male circumcision is associated with reduced HIV acquisition. METHODS: HIV acquisition was determined in a cohort of 5507 HIV-negative Ugandan men, and in 187 HIV-negative men in discordant relationships. Transmission was determined in 223 HIV-positive men with HIV-negative partners. HIV incidence per 100 person years (py) and adjusted rate ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated by Poisson regression. HIV-1 serum viral load was determined for the seropositive partners in HIV-discordant couples. RESULTS: The prevalence of circumcision was 16.5% for all men; 99.1% in Muslims and 3.7% in non-Muslims. Circumcision was significantly associated with reduced HIV acquisition in the cohort as a whole (RR 0.53, CI 0.33-0.87), but not among non-Muslim men. Prepubertal circumcision significantly reduced HIV acquisition (RR 0.49, CI 0.26-0.82), but postpubertal circumcision did not. In discordant couples with HIV-negative men, no serconversions occurred in 50 circumcised men, whereas HIV acquisition was 16.7 per 100 py in uncircumcised men (P = 0.004). In couples with HIV-positive men, HIV transmission was significantly reduced in circumcised men with HIV viral loads less than 50000 copies/ml (P = 0.02). INTERPRETATION: Prepubertal circumcision may reduce male HIV acquisition in a general population, but the protective effects are confounded by cultural and behavioral factors in Muslims. In discordant couples, circumcision reduces HIV acquisition and transmission. The assessment of circumcision for HIV prevention is complex and requires randomized trials.

Mortality associated with HIV infection in rural Rakai District, Uganda.

OBJECTIVE: To assess mortality impact of HIV in rural Uganda. METHODS: An open cohort of 19983 adults aged 15-59 years, in Rakai district was followed at 10 month intervals for four surveys. Sociodemographic characteristics and symptomatology/disease conditions were assessed by interview. Deaths among residents and out-migrants were identified household census. Mortality rates were computed per 1000 person years (py) and the rate ratio (RR) of death in HIV-positive/HIV-negative subjects, and the population attributable fraction (PAF) of death were estimated according to sociodemographic characteristics. Mortality associated with potential AIDS defining symptoms and signs was assessed. RESULTS: HIV prevalence was 16.1%. Mortality was 132.6 per 1000 py in HIV-infected versus 6.7 per 1000 py in uninfected subjects, and 73.5% of adult deaths were attributable to HIV infection. Mortality increased with age, but the highest attributable risk of HIV associated deaths were observed in persons aged 20-39 years (PAF > 80%) and in women. HIV associated mortality was highest in the better educated (PAF > or = 75%) and among government employees (PAF > or = 82%). Of the HIV-positive subjects 40.5% reported no illness < 10 months preceding death, symptoms were poor predictors of death (sensitivity 1.6-38.8%), and only 9.1% met the World Health Organization clinical definition of AIDS. Infant mortality rates in babies of HIV-infected and uninfected mothers were 209.4 and 97.7 per 1000, respectively. CONCLUSION: HIV is taking substantial toll in this population, particularly among the younger better educated adults, and infants. Symptomatology or the World Health Organization definition of AIDS are poor predictors of death.

Age of male circumcision and risk of prevalent HIV infection in rural Uganda.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether circumcision performed on postpubertal men affords the same level of protection from HIV-1 acquisition as circumcisions earlier in childhood. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study of a population-based cohort. SETTING: Rakai district, rural Uganda. METHODS: A total of 6821 men aged 15-59 years were surveyed and venous blood samples were tested for HIV-1 and syphilis. Age at circumcision was dichotomized into men who were circumcised before or at age 12 years (prepubertal) and men circumcised after age 12 years (postpubertal). Postpubertal circumcised men were also subdivided into those reporting circumcision at ages 13-20 years and > or = 21 years. RESULTS: HIV-1 prevalence was 14.1% in uncircumcised men, compared with 16.2% for men circumcised at age > or = 21 years, 10.0% for men circumcised at age 13-20 years, and 6.9% in men circumcised at age < or = 12 years. On bivariate analysis, lower prevalence of HIV-1 associated with prepubertal circumcision was observed in all age, education, ethnic and religious groups. Multivariate adjusted odds ratio of prevalent HIV-1 infection associated with prepubertal circumcision was 0.39 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.29-0.53]. In the postpubertal group, the adjusted odds ratio for men circumcised at ages 13-20 years was 0.46 (95% CI, 0.28-0.77), and 0.78 (95% CI, 0.43-1.43) for men circumcised after age 20 years. CONCLUSIONS: Prepubertal circumcision is associated with reduced HIV risk, whereas circumcision after age 20 years is not significantly protective against HIV-1 infection. Age at circumcision and reasons for circumcision need to be considered in future studies of circumcision and HIV risk.