Riley ED, Perry S, Moss AR, Guzman D, Clark RA, Charlebois E, Bangsberg DR; International Conference on AIDS.

Int Conf AIDS. 2002 Jul 7-12; 14: abstract no. MoPeB3265.

University of California, San Francisco, United States

BACKGROUND: We determined predictors of cumulative time on HAART among HIV-infected homeless and marginally housed (HMH) individuals who ever received it. METHODS: Between 1996 and 2001, a probability-based sample of HIV-infected HMH was followed quarterly for information regarding sociodemographics, health care, and antiretroviral therapy. Baseline interviews included retrospective information and the median follow-up time was 28 months. Current analyses are limited to individuals who ever started HAART. Inferences were based on cumulative months of HAART. RESULTS: Among 217 individuals who received HAART, the median lowest CD4 count measured during the study period (nadir) was 158 (IQR=75-308) and the median number of months on HAART was 26 (IQR=13-41). This population included individuals who were African American (39%), Latino or Asian/PI (17%), had not completed high school (32%), were current drug users (60%), and were 40 years old on average. At baseline, individuals reported "sleeping most nights" in low-income hotels (34%), jail or prison (29%), the street or a shelter (26%), or other (11%). After controlling for date of initiating HAART and nadir CD4 count, individuals older than 40 years had 9.1 more months on HAART than did younger HMH. Health insurance, completing high school, and spending most nights in jail/prison were significantly associated with more time on HAART, but only before adjustment for date of HAART initiation. Characteristics not associated with cumulative months of receiving HAART included sex, drug use (ever or current), time homeless and time period of study entry. CONCLUSIONS: Even after adjusting for nadir CD4 count and date of therapy initiation, older HMH had 9 more months of cumulative HAART experience than did their younger counterparts. These data suggest that developing methods to keep younger HMH engaged in consistent health care are warranted.

Publication Types:

• Meeting Abstracts

Keywords:

• Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
• Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active
• CD4 Lymphocyte Count
• HIV Infections
• HIV Seropositivity
• Housing
• Interviews as Topic
• Poverty
• Prisons
• Substance-Related Disorders
• Time

Other ID:

• GWAIDS0018885

UI: 102256383

From Meeting Abstracts