Barcelona 2013
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| Abstract #251 - E-Posters English | ||||
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Session: 50.111: E-Posters English (Poster) on Sunday in Chaired by Authors: Presenting Author: Ms Rumbidzai Manzou - Biomedical Reasearch and training institute, Zimbabwe |
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| Additional Authors: Dr. Jordi Casabona, Sra Cristina Sanclemente, Dra. Anna Esteve, Dra. Victoria Gonzalez, Grupo HIVITS TS, | ||||
| Aim: To compare levels and changes over time in HIV prevalence between major religious groups in eastern Zimbabwe and to investigate whether differences observed can be explained by changes in behaviour. | ||||
| Method / Issue: We analysed serial cross-sectional data from two rounds of a longitudinal survey of HIV trends in a general population sample in eastern Zimbabwe spanning a period of HIV risk reduction (1998-2005). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were developed to compare differences in sexual behaviour and HIV prevalence between religious groups and to investigate changes over time controlling for potential confounders. | ||||
| Results / Comments: Christian churches were the most popular religious grouping. Over time, Spiritualist churches increased in popularity and, for men, Traditional religion and no religion became less and more common, respectively. At baseline (1998-2000), HIV prevalence was higher in Traditionalists and in those with no religion than in Christian churches (men: 26.7% and 23.8% vs. 17.5%, women: 35.4% and 37.5% vs. 24.1%). These effects were explained by differences in socio-demographic characteristics (for Traditional religion and men with no religion) or sexual behaviour (women with no religion). Spiritualist men (but not women) had lower HIV prevalence than Christians after adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics (14.4% versus 17.5%, aOR=0.7, p=0.002) due to safer behaviour. HIV prevalence had fallen in all religious groups at follow-up (2003-2005). The odds of infection in Christians reduced relative to those in other religious groups for both sexes, effects which were mediated largely by greater reductions in sexual risk behaviour. | ||||
| Discussion: Variation in behavioural responses to HIV between the major church groupings has contributed to a change in the religious pattern of infection in eastern Zimbabwe. | ||||
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