HIV healthcare providers' perceptions on smoking behavior among PLHIV and smoking cessation service provision in HIV clinics in Uganda.

Kellen Nyamurungi Namusisi,Frances Thirlway,Noreen D Mdege,Joseph K B Matovu

doi:10.18332/tpc/140131

Kellen Nyamurungi Namusisi, Frances Thirlway + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.18332/tpc/140131

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Abstract

INTRODUCTIONIntegration of smoking cessation interventions into HIV care can play a crucial role in reducing the growing burden of disease due to smoking among people living with HIV (PLHIV). However, there is a dearth of information on HIV care providers’ perspectives towards integrating smoking cessation interventions into HIV care programs. We explored HIV healthcare providers’ perceptions on the smoking behavior among PLHIV, and the provision of smoking cessation services to PLHIV who smoke within HIV care services in Uganda.METHODSSemi-structured face-to-face qualitative interviews were conducted with 12 HIV care providers between October and November 2019. Data were collected on perceptions on smoking among HIV-positive patients enrolled in HIV care, support provided to PLHIV who smoke to quit and integrating smoking cessation services into HIV care programs. Data were analyzed deductively following a thematic framework approach.RESULTSFindings show that: 1) HIV care providers in HIV clinics had low knowledge on the prevalence and magnitude of smoking among PLHIV who attended the clinics; 2) HIV care providers did not routinely screen HIV-positive patients for smoking and offered sub-optimal smoking cessation services; and 3) HIV care providers had a positive attitude towards integration of tobacco smoking cessation services into HIV care programs but called for support in form of guidelines, capacity building and strengthening of data collection and use as part of the integration process.CONCLUSIONSOur study shows that HIV care providers did not routinely screen for tobacco use among PLHIV and offered suboptimal cessation support to smoking patients, but had a positive attitude towards the integration of tobacco smoking into HIV care programs. These findings suggest a favorable ground for integrating tobacco smoking cessation interventions into HIV care programs.

Highlights

Integration of smoking cessation interventions into HIV care can play a crucial role in reducing the growing burden of disease due to smoking among people living with HIV (PLHIV)
Subthemes were grouped into the following three themes that were determined a priori: 1) Perceptions on smoking behavior among PLHIV, 2) Nature of cessation support offered to PLHIV who are in HIV care, and 3) Support required for smoking cessation integration in HIV care
Participant perceptions of smoking behavior among PLHIV Our study focused on the use of combusted tobacco

Summary

Introduction

Integration of smoking cessation interventions into HIV care can play a crucial role in reducing the growing burden of disease due to smoking among people living with HIV (PLHIV). Data were collected on perceptions on smoking among HIV-positive patients enrolled in HIV care, support provided to PLHIV who smoke to quit and integrating smoking cessation services into HIV care programs. RESULTS Findings show that: 1) HIV care providers in HIV clinics had low knowledge on the prevalence and magnitude of smoking among PLHIV who attended the clinics; 2) HIV care providers did not routinely screen HIV-positive patients for smoking and offered sub-optimal smoking cessation services; and 3) HIV care providers had a positive attitude towards integration of tobacco smoking cessation services into HIV care programs but called for support in form of guidelines, capacity building and strengthening of data collection and use as part of the integration process. One study reported that up to 24% of AIDS-related deaths were attributable to smoking[6]

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