Assessment of Syndemic Inter-relationships between Substance Use, Violence and HIV Risk Among Persons Seeking Emergency Care in Nairobi, Kenya

Introduction Contemporaneous substance abuse, violence and HIV/AIDS risks (SAVA) result in synergistic negative impacts (syndemic effects).Presence of and risks for syndemic SAVA conditions are common among emergency department (ED) patients, however research on these inter-related processes is limited in sub-Saharan Africa.This study utilizes structural equation modeling to examine the relationships of syndemic SAVA conditions among persons seeking emergency injury care in Nairobi, Kenya.Methods This secondary analysis of a prospective observational study examined SAVA syndemic conditions among non-pregnant, adult ED injury patients able to provide consent at Kenyatta National Hospital.Structural equation modeling using diagonally weighted least squares (DWLS), was used to quantify associations between three latent variables (substance use, HIV risks, violence exposure).HIV risk included partner HIV status, men who have sex Assessment of Syndemic Inter-relationships between Substance Use, Violence and HIV Risk Among Persons Seeking Emergency Care in Nairobi, Kenya