The Role of Behavioral and Neurocognitive Functioning in Substance Use Among Youth with Perinatally Acquired HIV Infection and Perinatal HIV Exposure Without Infection

• Published in: AIDS and behavior Vol. 25; no. 9; pp. 2827 - 2840
• Main Authors: Nichols, Sharon L., Brummel, Sean, Malee, Kathleen M., Mellins, Claude A., Moscicki, Anna-Barbara, Smith, Renee, Cuadra, Anai M., Bryant, Kendall, Boyce, Cheryl Anne, Tassiopoulos, Katherine K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.09.2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescents; Alcohol; Cannabis; Cognition; Cognitive ability; Cognitive functioning; Drug use; Female; Health Psychology; HIV; HIV Infections - epidemiology; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Infections; Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; Infectious Diseases; Marijuana; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Neuropsychological Tests; Perinatal exposure; Pregnancy; Public Health; Regulation; Self control; Substance abuse; Substance use; Substance-Related Disorders - complications; Substance-Related Disorders - epidemiology; Teenagers; Tests; Tobacco; Youth; Substance use; Cognition; Adolescents; Perinatal HIV; Self-regulation
• ISSN: 1090-7165; 1573-3254
• DOI: 10.1007/s10461-021-03174-3

This study examined associations of self-regulatory behavior and cognitive functioning with substance use (SU) to inform interventions for youth with perinatal HIV infection (YPHIV) or exposure but uninfected (YPHEU). Youth aged 7–15 years (YPHIV, n = 390; YPHEU, n = 211) were followed longitudinally with cognitive testing and behavioral questionnaires including self-report of alcohol, marijuana, tobacco, and other SU. Cox proportional hazards analyses were used to examine correlates of initiating each substance for those without prior use at baseline and generalized estimating equation analyses were used to address associations of cognitive/behavioral measurements with SU prevalence for the entire sample. Lower self-reported self-regulation skills, but higher cognitive functioning abilities, were associated with initiation and prevalent use of alcohol and marijuana regardless of HIV status. Our findings suggest SU screening tools and self-regulation interventions developed for general adolescent populations should be implemented for those with PHIV, who may be at heightened risk for SU-related health consequences.