Associations of poverty, substance use, and HIV transmission risk behaviors in three South African communities.
The majority of the world's HIV infections occur in communities ravished by poverty. Although HIV/AIDS and poverty are inextricably linked, there are few studies of how poverty-related stressors contribute to HIV risk behavior practices. In this study, surveys were conducted in three South African communities that varied by race and socio-economic conditions: people living in an impoverished African township (N = 499); an economically impoverished but well infrastructured racially integrating township (N = 995); and urban non-impoverished neighborhoods (N = 678). Results showed that HIV/AIDS risks were closely related to experiences of poor education, unemployment, discrimination, violence, and crime. Although poverty-related stressors were associated with a history of alcohol and drug use, substance use did not moderate the association between poverty-related stressors and HIV risk behaviors. The findings suggest that HIV prevention strategies should not treat AIDS as a singled out social problem independent of other social ills.
Kalichman
Seth C
SC
Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, Storrs 06269, USA. seth.k@uconn.edu
Simbayi
Leickness C
LC
Kagee
Ashraf
A
Toefy
Yoesrie
Y
Jooste
Sean
S
Cain
Demetria
D
Cherry
Chauncey
C
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011203:Poverty / Q000523:psychology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012931:Social Environment; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology