HIV-Alcohol Risk Reduction Interventions in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review of the Literature and Recommendations for a Way Forward.
Sub-Saharan Africa bears 69 % of the global burden of HIV, and strong evidence indicates an association between alcohol consumption, HIV risk behavior, and HIV incidence. However, characteristics of efficacious HIV-alcohol risk reduction interventions are not well known. The purpose of this systematic review is to summarize the characteristics and synthesize the findings of HIV-alcohol risk reduction interventions implemented in the region and reported in peer-reviewed journals. Of 644 citations screened, 19 met the inclusion criteria for this review. A discussion of methodological challenges, research gaps, and recommendations for future interventions is included. Relatively few interventions were found, and evidence is mixed about the efficacy of HIV-alcohol risk reduction interventions. There is a need to further integrate HIV-alcohol risk reduction components into HIV prevention programming and to document results from such integration. Additionally, research on larger scale, multi-level interventions is needed to identify effective HIV-alcohol risk reduction strategies.
Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 624 N. Broadway Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA. mcarrasc@jhsph.edu.
Maria A
MA
Carrasco
Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 624 N. Broadway Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
Marissa B
MB
Esser
Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 624 N. Broadway Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
Alicia
A
Sparks
Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 624 N. Broadway Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
Michelle R
MR
Kaufman
D017954:Africa South of the Sahara; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D003376:Counseling; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior
Alcohol; HIV prevention; Risk reduction intervention; Sub-Saharan Africa