Gender, race, and socioeconomic status influence comorbidity in HIV-positive individuals who smoke.

High rates of smoking among people with HIV are associated with high rates of comorbid health problems-which are associated with characteristics including gender, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, according to a study in the July issue of The Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (JANAC).

To clarify the types of comorbidities among people with HIV who smoke, as well as the characteristics associated with that group, the researchers analyzed data from an ongoing follow-up study of people with HIV living in the Washington, DC area (the DC Cohort Longitudinal HIV Study). Of nearly 8,600 participants enrolled in the study, 50% were smokers.

Comorbidity was to a wide range of demographic and socioeconomic factors among people with HIV who smoked. Those with mental health comorbidity were more likely to be older, white, and female; to be on public health insurance or uninsured, and to have unstable housing conditions.

The risk of CPC comorbidity was strongly associated with older age, female sex, and non-Hispanic Black race/ethnicity. Comorbid CPC was also linked to unstable housing, but not to other sociodemographic factors.

Comorbidity was also increased for participants with poorer clinical characteristics: AIDS diagnosis, lower CD4+ cell count, and high viral load. These associations were stronger for CPC than for mental health comorbidity. Substance use did not appear to affect comorbidity risks.

Reference: Jessica L. Elf et al, Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care