Prevalence and factors associated with alcohol use disorder among people living with HIV attending care and treatment centers at Moshi municipal, Kilimanjaro

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is very common among people living with HIV (PLHIV), with 2-6 times the general population's prevalence, despite being connected to higher rates of morbidity and mortality among PLHIV. Furthermore, AUD increases sexual risk behaviors, which can, in turn, lead to further transmission of HIV. Despite these negative consequences, a paucity of studies have explored this problem in Tanzania. Hence, this study aimed to determine AUD's prevalence and associated factors among PLHIV attending Care and Treatment Centers (CTCs) in Moshi Municipal, Kilimanjaro. Methods: A multifacility-based cross-sectional study was carried out among 532 PLHIV attending four CTC centers in Moshi Municipal, Kilimanjaro. A multistage cluster systematic sampling method was utilized to choose CTC centers and participants. The data were collected using standardized tools through interviewer administration. The statistical analyses were conducted using STATA (version 16). A binary logistic regression model was used to examine the associations between AUD and the independent variables. Odds ratios and their 95% confidence intervals were utilized to quantify the strength of these associations. Results: The mean age of the study participants was 46.6 years (SD13.3). The weighted prevalence of alcohol use disorder (AUDIT  8) in the past 12 months was 28.2%. Factors that were associated with AUD in this study in the final analysis model included male sex (AOR=4.18, P <0.001), healthcare level (Reference tertiary health facility: secondary health facility AOR=1.80, P<0.001), primary health facility (AOR=9.65, P<0.001), being divorced or widowed (AOR=2.82, P<0.001), having at least a secondary level of education (AOR=1.35, P=0.005), and having probable depression (AOR=2.48, P <0.001) Conclusion: This study revealed a high prevalence of AUD among PLHIV, highlighting the need for enhancement of the integration of psychosocial services at CTCs