Seroprevalence of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG Antibodies among HIV Infected Individuals Attending ART Centre at Pune: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: We aimed to determine the anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Pune, India. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between March 2021 and June 2021. Demographic and clinical information related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) were recorded on structured questionnaires. Blood samples were collected and tested for anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies using commercial ELISA. Results: Of the 405 HIV infected individuals enrolled in the study, 223(55.1%) were females. Mean age and CD4 count of participants were 42 years (SD: 10) and 626 cells/mm3 (SD: 284) respectively. A total of 382 (95%) PLHIV were virologically suppressed. The seropositivity against SARS-CoV-2 was found in 221 PLHIV (54.6%, 95% CI: 49.7-59.4). No significant association was found between demographic or clinical factors and seropositivity. Conclusion: A high prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies was found among PLHIV attending ART centre indicating an exposure to the virus among them.

Ocular manifestations and refractive errors among people living with HIV in Pune, India: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine the ocular manifestation and refractive error prevalences among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Pune, India. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included HIV-infected adults attending a National AIDS Research Institute clinic. Ophthalmologic examination included visual acuity estimation, refraction, orthoptic evaluation, slit lamp and fundus examination, and photography. RESULTS: In total, 441 HIV-infected individuals were enrolled. The participants' median age was 44 (interquartile range 38-49) years and 227 (51.5%) were men. Refractive errors occurred in 132 (29.9%) individuals. Ocular manifestations were present in 93 (21.1%) participants and the most frequent was cataract in 59 (13.4%) participants. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that participants who were illiterate (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 2.80, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.47-5.33) and those aged greater than 40 years (AOR 5.59, 95% CI 2.69-11.61) were more likely to have ocular manifestations. The odds of having ocular manifestations were greater in participants with treatment substitution or changes (AOR 2.11, 95% CI 1.16-3.82). CONCLUSIONS: Cataract and refractive errors were prevalent among PLHIV. PLHIV should be encouraged to have regular ophthalmic checkups. Individuals with lower education levels and older age should be counseled regarding eye care and timely reporting of ocular symptoms.

A Couples-Based Intervention (Ghya Bharari Ekatra) for the Primary Prevention of Intimate Partner Violence in India: Pilot Feasibility and Acceptability Study.

BACKGROUND: The high global prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) and its association with poor physical and mental health underscore the need for effective primary prevention. We previously developed Ghya Bharari Ekatra (GBE), a couples-based primary prevention intervention for IPV among newly married couples residing in slum communities in Pune, India. OBJECTIVE: Through this pilot study, we aimed to explore the acceptance, safety, feasibility, and preliminary efficacy of GBE. METHODS: Between January and May 2018, we enrolled and assigned 20 couples to receive GBE plus information on IPV support services and 20 control couples to receive information on IPV support services alone. The GBE intervention was delivered over 6 weekly sessions to groups of 3 to 5 couples by lay peer educators in the communities in which the participants resided. Intervention components addressed relationship quality, resilience, communication and conflict negotiation, self-esteem, sexual communication and sexual health knowledge, and norms around IPV. Outcome evaluation included exit interviews with participants and peers to examine acceptance and feasibility challenges and baseline and 3-month follow-up interviews to examine change in IPV reporting and mental health (by women) and alcohol misuse (by men). The process evaluation examined dose delivered, dose received, fidelity, recruitment, participation rate, and context. RESULTS: Half (40/83) of the eligible couples approached agreed to participate in the GBE intervention. Retention rates were high (17/20, 85% across all 6 sessions), feedback from exit interviews suggested the content and delivery methods were very well received, and the community was highly supportive of the intervention. The principal feasibility challenge involved recruiting men with the lowest income who were dependent on daily wages. No safety concerns were reported by female participants over the course of the intervention or at the 3-month follow-up. There were no reported physical or sexual IPV events in either group, but there were fewer incidents of psychological abuse in GBE participants (3/17, 18%) versus control participants (4/16, 25%) at 3-month follow-up. There was also significant improvement in the overall mental health of female intervention participants and declines in the control participants (change in mean General Health Questionnaire-12 score: -0.13 in intervention vs 0.13 in controls; P=.10). CONCLUSIONS: GBE has high acceptance, feasibility, and preliminary efficacy in preventing IPV and improving mental health among women. Next steps include refining the intervention content based on pilot findings and examining intervention efficacy through a large-scale randomized trial with longer follow-up. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03332134; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03332134. Clinical Trials Registry of India CTRI/2018/01/011596; http://ctri.nic.in/Clinicaltrials/pmaindet2.php?trialid=21443. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): RR2-10.2196/11533.

Primary Prevention of Intimate Partner Violence Among Recently Married Dyads Residing in the Slums of Pune, India: Development and Rationale for a Dyadic Intervention.

BACKGROUND: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is frequently experienced by women of low socioeconomic status in India. It is a human rights violation and associated with negative effects on physical and mental well-being, underscoring the need for effective prevention strategies. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to develop a dyadic intervention for the primary prevention of IPV among newly married couples residing in slum communities in India. METHODS: The intervention was developed using a community-based, mixed-methods design rooted in couple-interdependence theory and guided by the intervention mapping (IM) framework. It used the six critical IM steps to inform the content and delivery of the intervention: (1) needs assessment, (2) preparation of matrices of change objectives, (3) selection of theory-based methods and practical applications, (4) production of intervention components and materials, (5) intervention adoption and implementation, and (6) evaluation planning. RESULTS: The resulting Ghya Bharari Ekatra (Take a Flight Together) intervention is intended to be delivered in 6 weekly sessions by a trained pair of male and female lay community educators to groups of 3 to 5 newly married couples in the community in which they reside. It uses games, discussions, self-reflections, and skill-building exercises to cover the following topics: enhancing relationship quality time, self-esteem and resilience, communication and conflict management, goal setting and implementation, sexual communication and sexual health and reproductive health knowledge, and redefining and challenging norms surrounding IPV occurrence. The formative work guided the protocol, including module duration and timing (2-hour sessions of convenience to participants), ordering of modules (based on potential level of interest and sensitivity of the topics), content (ie, informed scripts of role plays and films), intervention delivery methods (ie, interactive activities), and selection of the interventionists (based on capacity to connect with participants) and venue (community-based, convenient, and safe spaces). Ghya Bharari Ekatra was piloted between January and May 2018, and evaluation is presently underway. CONCLUSIONS: Ghya Bharari Ekatra is evidence-based, grounded in intervention-mapping, and developed and iteratively refined using a community-based participatory research approach, suggesting it has great potential to be an acceptable and effective solution to preventing IPV among newly married couples. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03332134; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03332134.

Correlates of domestic violence perpetration reporting among recently-married men residing in slums in Pune, India.

Domestic violence (DV) is prevalent in low-income and slum-dwelling communities in India. To date, the focus of DV prevention in resource-poor settings has largely been with women. We herein aim to identify correlates of DV perpetration to help inform future primary prevention efforts that focus on behavioral change in men. Utilizing a cross-sectional design, potential correlates of DV perpetration were explored among a geographically-clustered random sample of 100 recently-married men residing in slums in Pune, India. In multivariable regression, DV perpetration was associated with less time spent alone in the relationship post-marriage (standardized ß = -0.230, p<0.01), not attaining the "husband ideal" (standardized ß = -0.201, p<0.05), poor resilience (standardized ß = -0.304, p < .01), having limited definitions of behaviors constituting DV (standardized ß = -0.217, p<0.05), and reporting greater jealousy if the participant's spouse were to talk to men outside the family (standardized ß = 0.272, p<0.01). The identified correlates should inform components of future DV primary prevention interventions that target men as potential perpetrators or the couple as a unit.