HIV testing in national population-based surveys: experience from the Demographic and Health Surveys
OBJECTIVES: To describe the methods used in the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) to collect nationally representative data on the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and assess the value of such data to country HIV surveillance systems. METHODS: During 2001-04, national samples of a...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
The World Health Organization
2006-07-01
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| Series: | Bulletin of the World Health Organization |
| Online Access: | http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0042-96862006000700015&lng=en&tlng=en |
| _version_ | 1797288725470773248 |
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| author | Vinod Mishra Martin Vaessen J Ties Boerma Fred Arnold Ann Way Bernard Barrere Anne Cross Rathavuth Hong Jasbir Sangha |
| author_facet | Vinod Mishra Martin Vaessen J Ties Boerma Fred Arnold Ann Way Bernard Barrere Anne Cross Rathavuth Hong Jasbir Sangha |
| author_sort | Vinod Mishra |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | OBJECTIVES: To describe the methods used in the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) to collect nationally representative data on the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and assess the value of such data to country HIV surveillance systems. METHODS: During 2001-04, national samples of adult women and men in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Dominican Republic, Ghana, Mali, Kenya, United Republic of Tanzania and Zambia were tested for HIV. Dried blood spot samples were collected for HIV testing, following internationally accepted ethical standards. The results for each country are presented by age, sex, and urban versus rural residence. To estimate the effects of non-response, HIV prevalence among non-responding males and females was predicted using multivariate statistical models for those who were tested, with a common set of predictor variables. RESULTS: Rates of HIV testing varied from 70% among Kenyan men to 92% among women in Burkina Faso and Cameroon. Despite large differences in HIV prevalence between the surveys (1-16%), fairly consistent patterns of HIV infection were observed by age, sex and urban versus rural residence, with considerably higher rates in urban areas and in women, especially at younger ages. Analysis of non-response bias indicates that although predicted HIV prevalence tended to be higher in non-tested males and females than in those tested, the overall effects of non-response on the observed national estimates of HIV prevalence are insignificant. CONCLUSIONS: Population-based surveys can provide reliable, direct estimates of national and regional HIV seroprevalence among men and women irrespective of pregnancy status. Survey data greatly enhance surveillance systems and the accuracy of national estimates in generalized epidemics. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T18:53:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c6622a6680374a57bfcdb8e255cd28f8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0042-9686 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T18:53:40Z |
| publishDate | 2006-07-01 |
| publisher | The World Health Organization |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Bulletin of the World Health Organization |
| spelling | doaj.art-c6622a6680374a57bfcdb8e255cd28f82024-03-02T01:03:03ZengThe World Health OrganizationBulletin of the World Health Organization0042-96862006-07-01847537545S0042-96862006000700015HIV testing in national population-based surveys: experience from the Demographic and Health SurveysVinod Mishra0Martin Vaessen1J Ties Boerma2Fred Arnold3Ann Way4Bernard Barrere5Anne Cross6Rathavuth Hong7Jasbir Sangha8ORC MacroORC MacroWorld Health OrganizationORC MacroORC MacroORC MacroORC MacroORC MacroORC MacroOBJECTIVES: To describe the methods used in the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) to collect nationally representative data on the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and assess the value of such data to country HIV surveillance systems. METHODS: During 2001-04, national samples of adult women and men in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Dominican Republic, Ghana, Mali, Kenya, United Republic of Tanzania and Zambia were tested for HIV. Dried blood spot samples were collected for HIV testing, following internationally accepted ethical standards. The results for each country are presented by age, sex, and urban versus rural residence. To estimate the effects of non-response, HIV prevalence among non-responding males and females was predicted using multivariate statistical models for those who were tested, with a common set of predictor variables. RESULTS: Rates of HIV testing varied from 70% among Kenyan men to 92% among women in Burkina Faso and Cameroon. Despite large differences in HIV prevalence between the surveys (1-16%), fairly consistent patterns of HIV infection were observed by age, sex and urban versus rural residence, with considerably higher rates in urban areas and in women, especially at younger ages. Analysis of non-response bias indicates that although predicted HIV prevalence tended to be higher in non-tested males and females than in those tested, the overall effects of non-response on the observed national estimates of HIV prevalence are insignificant. CONCLUSIONS: Population-based surveys can provide reliable, direct estimates of national and regional HIV seroprevalence among men and women irrespective of pregnancy status. Survey data greatly enhance surveillance systems and the accuracy of national estimates in generalized epidemics.http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0042-96862006000700015&lng=en&tlng=en |
| spellingShingle | Vinod Mishra Martin Vaessen J Ties Boerma Fred Arnold Ann Way Bernard Barrere Anne Cross Rathavuth Hong Jasbir Sangha HIV testing in national population-based surveys: experience from the Demographic and Health Surveys Bulletin of the World Health Organization |
| title | HIV testing in national population-based surveys: experience from the Demographic and Health Surveys |
| title_full | HIV testing in national population-based surveys: experience from the Demographic and Health Surveys |
| title_fullStr | HIV testing in national population-based surveys: experience from the Demographic and Health Surveys |
| title_full_unstemmed | HIV testing in national population-based surveys: experience from the Demographic and Health Surveys |
| title_short | HIV testing in national population-based surveys: experience from the Demographic and Health Surveys |
| title_sort | hiv testing in national population based surveys experience from the demographic and health surveys |
| url | http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0042-96862006000700015&lng=en&tlng=en |
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