title: Roles and Functions of Social Networks Among Men Who Use Drugs in ART Initiation in Vietnam.
abstract: Support from social network members may help to facilitate access to HIV medical care, especially in low resourced communities. As part of a randomized clinical trial of a community-level stigma and risk reduction intervention in Thai Nguyen, Vietnam for people living with HIV who inject drugs (PWID), 341 participants were administered a baseline social network inventory. Network predictors of antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation at the 6-month follow-up were assessed. The social networks of PWID were sparse. Few participants who reported injectors in their networks also reported family members, whereas those who did not have injectors were more likely to report family members and network members providing emotional support and medical advice. In multivariate models, having at least one network member who provided medical advice predicted ART initiation at 6 months (OR 2.74, CI 1.20-6.28). These results suggest the importance of functional social support and network support mobilization for ART initiation among PWID.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 North Broadway, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA. clatkin@jhsph.edu.
authors.forename: Carl A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Latkin
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: M Kumi
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Behavior, University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Tran Viet
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Behavior, University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Tran Thi
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Mo
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zelaya
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Behavior, University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Teerada
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sripaipan
authors.affiliation: Thai Nguyen Center for Preventive Medicine, Thai Nguyen, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Nguyen
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Le Minh
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Vu Minh
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Quan
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Behavior, University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Vivian F
authors.initials: VF
authors.lastname: Go
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003376:Counseling; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D057545:Social Stigma; D012944:Social Support; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014744:Vietnam
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents
keywords: Antiretroviral therapy; People who inject drugs; Social networks; Social support; Vietnam