Search

The United States is responsible for the highest incarceration rate globally. This study aimed to explore the impact of partner incarceration on maternal substance use and whether social support mediates the relationship between partner incarceration and maternal substance use. Using data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a longitudinal cohort following new parents and children, this analysis quantifies the relationship between paternal incarceration and maternal substance use (N = 2823). We analyzed maternal responses in years 3 (2001–2003), 5 (2003–2006), 9 (2007–2010), and 15 (2014–2017). We explored the role of financial support and emergency social support as potential mediators. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was employed to construct support-related mediators. We modeled the impact of partner incarceration and maternal substance use using generalized estimating equations (GEE) to account for repeated measures, adjusting for appropriate confounders (age of mother at child's birth, race, education, employment, and history of intimate partner violence). Nearly half (44.2%, N = 1247) of participants reported partner incarceration. Among mothers who experienced partner incarceration, the odds of reporting substance use were 110% greater than those who reported no partner incarceration (adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR]: 2.10; 95% Confidence Interval (CI):1.67–2.63). Financial support at year 5 accounted for 19.5% (95% CI: 6.03–33.06%) of the association between partner incarceration at year 3 and substance use at year 9; emergency social support at year 5 accounted for 6.4% (95% CI: 0.51–12.25%) of the association between partner incarceration and substance use at year 9. Neither financial nor emergency social support at year 9 were significant mediators between partner incarceration at year 3 and substance use at year 15. These findings demonstrate that partner incarceration impacts maternal substance use. Financial and emergency support may partially mediate this relationship in the short term, which has important implications for families disrupted by mass incarceration. • Nearly half of the women in this study reported partner incarceration. • The odds of substance use were higher among women reporting partner incarceration. • Financial support accounted for a portion of this association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our study aims to define and identify correlates of social isolation among people living with HIV (PLHIV). The Longitudinal Investigation into Supportive and Ancillary health services (LISA) study provided a cross-sectional analytic sample of 996 PLHIV in British Columbia, Canada (sampled between 2007 and 2010). Individuals marginalized by socio-structural inequities were oversampled; sampling bias was addressed through inverse probability of participation weighting. Through latent class analysis, three groups were identified: Socially Connected (SC) (n = 364, 37%), Minimally Isolated (MI) (n = 540, 54%) and Socially Isolated (SI) (n = 92, 9%). Correlates of the SI and MI classes, determined through multivariable multinomial regression using the SC class as a reference, include: recent violence (aOR 1.61, 95%CI 1.28–2.02 [MI vs. SC]; aOR 2.04, 95%CI 1.41–2.96 [SI vs. SC]) and a mental health diagnosis (aOR 1.50, 95% CI 1.31–1.72 [MI vs. SC]; aOR 1.43, 95%CI 1.11–1.83 [SI vs. SC]). Women (aOR 0.47; 95%CI 0.32–0.68 [SI vs. SC]), individuals of Indigenous ancestry (aOR 0.59; 95%CI 0.40–0.87 [SI vs. SC]) and people identifying as gay or lesbian (aOR 0.37; 95%CI 0.26–0.52 [SI vs. SC]) were less likely to experience isolation. These findings highlight the importance of supporting communities fostering connectedness and identifies populations susceptible to isolation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social isolation, a risk factor for poor health within the general population, may be exacerbated by unique challenges faced by people living with HIV (PLHIV). This analysis examines the association between social isolation and all-cause mortality among a cohort of PLHIV experiencing multiple social vulnerabilities. The analytical sample included 936 PLHIV ≥ 19 years, living in British Columbia, Canada, and enrolled in the Longitudinal Investigation into Supportive and Ancillary Health Services (LISA) Study (2007–2010). Participants were classified as Socially Connected (SC), Minimally Isolated (MI) or Socially Isolated (SI) via latent class analysis. Cross-sectional survey data was linked to longitudinal clinical data from a provincial HIV treatment database. Mortality was assessed longitudinally up to and including December 31st, 2017. Through multivariable logistic regression, an association between SI and all-cause mortality was found (adjusted OR: 1.48; 95% CI 1.08, 2.01). These findings emphasize the need to mitigate effects of social isolation among PLHIV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]