Huifang Xu

Crowdsourcing HIV Test Promotion Videos: A Noninferiority Randomized Controlled Trial in China

BACKGROUNDnCrowdsourcing, the process of shifting individual tasks to a large group, may enhance human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing interventions. We conducted a noninferiority, randomized controlled trial to compare first-time HIV testing rates among men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender individuals who received a crowdsourced or a health marketing HIV test promotion video.nnnMETHODSnSeven hundred twenty-one MSM and transgender participants (≥16 years old, never before tested for HIV) were recruited through 3 Chinese MSM Web portals and randomly assigned to 1 of 2 videos. The crowdsourced video was developed using an open contest and formal transparent judging while the evidence-based health marketing video was designed by experts. Study objectives were to measure HIV test uptake within 3 weeks of watching either HIV test promotion video and cost per new HIV test and diagnosis.nnnRESULTSnOverall, 624 of 721 (87%) participants from 31 provinces in 217 Chinese cities completed the study. HIV test uptake was similar between the crowdsourced arm (37% [114/307]) and the health marketing arm (35% [111/317]). The estimated difference between the interventions was 2.1% (95% confidence interval, -5.4% to 9.7%). Among those tested, 31% (69/225) reported a new HIV diagnosis. The crowdsourced intervention cost substantially less than the health marketing intervention per first-time HIV test (US

Misconceptions predict dropout and poor adherence prospectively among newly admitted first-time methadone maintenance treatment clients in Guangzhou, China.

131 vs US

Misconceptions toward methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) and associated factors among new MMT users in Guangzhou, China

238 per person) and per new HIV diagnosis (US

Providing HIV-related services in China for men who have sex with men.

415 vs US

A Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate the Relative Efficacy of the Addition of a Psycho-Social Intervention to Standard-of-Care Services in Reducing Attrition and Improving Attendance Among First-Time Users of Methadone Maintenance Treatment in China

799 per person).nnnCONCLUSIONSnOur nationwide study demonstrates that crowdsourcing may be an effective tool for improving HIV testing messaging campaigns and could increase community engagement in health campaigns.nnnCLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATIONnNCT02248558.

Situation-specific factors predicting nonadherence to methadone maintenance treatment: a cross-sectional study using the case-crossover design in Guangzhou, China

AIMSnTo investigate the incidence of dropout and the prevalence of poor adherence among newly admitted first-time clients of methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) clinics, and the associations between MMT-related misconceptions and these two treatment outcomes.nnnDESIGNnA cohort study (maximum follow-up period = 17.6 months) was conducted.nnnSETTINGnThree of the nine MMT clinics in Guangzhou, China participated in the study.nnnPARTICIPANTSnThe sample included 158 newly admitted first-time MMT clients.nnnMEASUREMENTSnInformation collected included background characteristics, history of drug use, MMT-related misconceptions, dropout during the entire study period and poor adherence within the first 6 months since admission to MMT.nnnFINDINGSnOf all newly admitted MMT clients, 98.2% possessed at least one and 50.6% possessed all four types of MMT-related misconception; 51.3% had dropped out before the completion of the study [95% confidence interval (CI): 43.5-59.1%] and 62% exhibited poor adherence within the first 6 months since admission (95% CI: 54.2-69.6%). Adjusting for significant background variables, the number of misconceived responses predicted significantly both dropout [hazard ratio (HR) = 3.80 for two to three misconceived items, HR = 7.13 for four misconceived items, with zero to one misconceived item being the reference] and poor adherence within the first 6 months [relative risk (RR) = 4.13 for two to three misconceived items; RR = 4.40 for four misconceived items, with zero to one misconceived item being the reference.nnnCONCLUSIONSnAmong opiate addicts in China prescribed methadone maintenance therapy for the first time, misconceptions about this medication are prevalent and are associated with poor adherence to the medication regimen and a high a rate of dropout from the treatment programme.

Club drugs and alcohol abuse predicted dropout and poor adherence among methadone maintenance treatment patients in Guangzhou, China

The methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) program is scaling up in China, but little is known about drug users cognitions of MMT. To investigate the prevalence and associated factors of MMT-related misconceptions, a totally of 300 newly admitted MMT users were interviewed in three MMT clinics in Guangzhou. Four statements were used to assess MMT-related misconceptions. The results showed that the majority of participants misconceived that MMT is intended primarily for detoxification (92.3%), that one could be completely detoxified and quit using methadone after using it for 2-3months (64.2%), that MMT is not a long-term or even lifetime treatment (77.9%); and that one should attempt to reduce its treatment dosage as methadone is harmful to ones health (84.3%); 48.5% of the respondents possessed all four types of misconceptions. Prior experience of methadone use in voluntary drug detoxification centers (OR=1.82 to 2.55, p<0.05) was associated with some misconception items, whilst being introduced by some peer drug users or community members to use MMT (versus not being introduced by anyone; OR=0.38 to 0.50, p<0.05), having taken up HIV voluntary counseling and testing prior to admission (OR=0.52, p<0.05), and a higher HIV-related knowledge level (OR=0.38, p<0.05) were associated with lower likelihoods for possessing some of the misconceptions. The findings suggested that MMT-related misconceptions were very prevalent among newly recruited MMT users in China. Misconceptions are potential factors causing drop-outs. Interventions targeting such misconceptions are greatly warranted.

Depression, suicidal ideation, and related factors of methadone maintenance treatment users in Guangzhou, China.

Abstract Problem In China, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care provided by community-based organizations and the public sector are not well integrated. Approach A community-based organization and experts from the Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention developed internet-based services for men who have sex with men, in Guangzhou, China. The internet services were linked to clinical services offering HIV testing and care. Local setting The expanding HIV epidemic among men who have sex with men is a public health problem in China. HIV control and prevention measures are implemented primarily through the public system. Only a limited number of community organizations are involved in providing HIV services. Relevant changes The programme integrated community and public sector HIV services including health education, online HIV risk assessment, on-site HIV counselling and testing, partner notification, psychosocial care and support, counting of CD4+ T-lymphocytes and treatment guidance. Lessons learnt The internet can facilitate HIV prevention among a subset of men who have sex with men by enhancing awareness, service uptake, retention in care and adherence to treatment. Collaboration between the public sector and the community group promoted acceptance by the target population. Task sharing by community groups can increase access of this high-risk group to available HIV-related services.

HIV Linkage to Care and Retention in Care Rate Among MSM in Guangzhou, China

Although methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) is an important means of HIV control, MMT clinics commonly have high attrition rates. The randomized controlled trial investigated the relative efficacy of adding a psycho-social intervention to the standard-of-care MMT in reducing attrition and non-attendance among first-time newly admitted MMT users in China (nxa0=xa0288). Social workers implemented this three-phase intervention that was based on a behavioral maintenance theory. It also involved participants’ family members and rectified some MMT-related misconceptions. As compared to the control group, the intervention group showed significantly lower likelihood of attrition (HRxa0=xa00.55, 95xa0% confidence interval 0.39–0.80), lower estimated probability of attrition at Month 12 (0.35 vs. 0.55), and higher median number of days of attendance (Month 6: 147 vs. 91xa0days, pxa0<xa00.001; end-date: 225 vs. 142xa0days, pxa0<xa00.001). Further psycho-social services and translational research are warranted.

Preexposure prophylaxis comprehension and the certainty of willingness to use preexposure prophylaxis among men who have sex with men in China

Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) is a key risk reduction measure for controlling HIV transmission among drug users. Studies using traditional methods exist to distinguish between drop outs and nondrop outs. However, many nondrop outs use MMT discontinuously and no study has identified situation-specific factors predicting their showing or not showing up. This study used a case-crossover design comparing situation-specific factors appearing on the last episode of attendance versus those of the last episode of nonattendance. A total of 133 participants were recruited from two MMT clinics in Guangzhou, China. Participants were asked separately whether various situation-specific factors existed in the last episodes of nonattendance and attendance of MMT. Matched odds ratios (ORs) based on conditional logistic regression analysis were presented. The results showed that the participants attended the MMT clinics on average for 25 days in the last month. Situation-specific factors significantly predicting nonattendance included: (1) physical and mental health status: in illness (OR = 33.0, P < 0.001), in a bad mood (OR = 7.5, P < 0.001), and occurrence of an unhappy event (OR = 18.0, P < 0.001); (2) other engagement: work engagement (OR = 40.0, P < 0.001), trip to other places (OR = 83.0, P < 0.001), and social activities (OR = 10.0, P = 0.012); (3) interpersonal relationship: conflicts with family (OR = 19.0, P = 0.004); and (4) structural situational factors: financial difficulty (OR = 19.0, P = 0.004) and worrying about police arrest (OR = 12.0, P = 0.003). Other factors such as interaction with drug users and heroin use were marginally significant, while reduced methadone dosage was nonsignificant. Interventions to improve MMT adherence need to consider situation-specific factors. Ancillary psychosocial services should be integrated with current MMT; MMT should also provide more flexible services to the clients. Furthermore, efforts should be taken to build up interdisciplinary teams and to connect with MMT in order to provide holistic harm reduction, rehabilitation, and health care.