Profile of risk factors for people who inject drugs among a sample at high risk of HIV/AIDS in Kigali, Rwanda.
8 affiliations
- 1School of Behavioral Health, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, United States.
- 2Rwanda Resilience and Grounding Organization (RRGO), Kigali, Rwanda.
- 3School of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.
- 4Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation of Greater Montreal (CRIR), Montreal, QC, Canada.
- 5Health Development Initiatives (HDI), Kigali, Rwanda.
- 6School of Public Health, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda.
- 7Research and Innovation Center, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda.
- 8Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda.
Abstract
Background
The increasing prevalence of people who inject drugs (PWID) among populations at high risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has become a critical public health concern, particularly in Africa. This issue is associated with substantial health-related effects among populations at high risk for HIV/AIDS. Hence, our study aimed to analyze the associations between sociodemographic characteristics, alcohol and substance dependence, and depressive symptoms among populations at high risk for HIV.Methods
We conducted a cross-sectional study with 480 respondents living in Kigali, Rwanda, who self-identified as being at high risk for HIV/AIDS and were recruited via snowball sampling. Chi-square bivariate analyses were used to explore associations with PWID status. Variables that were significant in the bivariate analyses were included in a multivariate logistic regression model, in which adjusted odds ratios were used to determine factors associated with PWID status. A 95% confidence interval and a 5% significance level were used to evaluate statistical associations.Results
Of the 480 respondents, 86.25% reported symptoms of depression, and 31.5% were identified as PWID. Notably, 78% were male and were between 18 years and 45 years of age. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that participants with substance dependence [aOR = 3.547; 95% CI (1.159-10.857)] and those who used marijuana [aOR = 3.261; 95% CI (1.380-7.708)] were more likely to be PWID than their counterparts. Furthermore, individuals with depressive symptoms [aOR = 4.50; 95% CI (2.55-7.96), p = 0.018] were also more likely to be PWID than their counterparts.Conclusion
The results of this study indicated that substance use and alcohol-related behaviors, as well as mental health concerns such as depressive symptoms, were significantly associated with injecting drug use. The findings support the promotion of harm-reduction and prevention strategies that incorporate mental health programs for populations at high risk for HIV.
Related
- Recommendations to Enhance Engagement in Perinatal Research With People Who Inject Drugs.
- Projected Health and Economic Outcomes in People Who Inject Drugs in the United States, 2025-2034: A Modeling Study.
- Ten-year longitudinal study of incarceration among a community-based cohort of people who inject drugs.
- Feasibility and Preliminary Effectiveness of a Data-to-Care Intervention for HIV-Positive People Who Inject Drugs in Ukraine: A Pilot Cluster-Randomized Trial
- Reductions in Advanced Chronic Liver Disease Among People Who Inject Drugs: The ETHOS Engage Study.
BibTeX
@article{habimana2026profile,
title = {{Profile of risk factors for people who inject drugs among a sample at high risk of HIV/AIDS in Kigali, Rwanda.}},
author = {Samuel Habimana and Zephon Lister and Emmanuel Biracyaza and Aflodis Kagaba and Albert Ndagijimana and Stefan Jansen and Eugene Rutembesa and Susanne Montgomery},
journal = {Advances in drug and alcohol research},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/adar.2026.16156},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42898832},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Profile of risk factors for people who inject drugs among a sample at high risk of HIV/AIDS in Kigali, Rwanda.
AU - Samuel Habimana
AU - Zephon Lister
AU - Emmanuel Biracyaza
AU - Aflodis Kagaba
AU - Albert Ndagijimana
AU - Stefan Jansen
AU - Eugene Rutembesa
AU - Susanne Montgomery
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Advances in drug and alcohol research
DO - 10.3389/adar.2026.16156
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42898832
AB - Background The increasing prevalence of people who inject drugs (PWID) among populations at high risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has become a critical public health concern, particularly in Africa. This issue is associated with substantial health-related effects among populations at high risk for HIV/AIDS. Hence, our study aimed to analyze the associations between sociodemographic characteristics, alcohol and substance dependence, and depressive symptoms among populations at high risk for HIV.Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study with 480 respondents living in Kigali, Rwanda, who self-identified as being at high risk for HIV/AIDS and were recruited via snowball sampling. Chi-square bivariate analyses were used to explore associations with PWID status. Variables that were significant in the bivariate analyses were included in a multivariate logistic regression model, in which adjusted odds ratios were used to determine factors associated with PWID status. A 95% confidence interval and a 5% significance level were used to evaluate statistical associations.Results Of the 480 respondents, 86.25% reported symptoms of depression, and 31.5% were identified as PWID. Notably, 78% were male and were between 18 years and 45 years of age. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that participants with substance dependence [aOR = 3.547; 95% CI (1.159-10.857)] and those who used marijuana [aOR = 3.261; 95% CI (1.380-7.708)] were more likely to be PWID than their counterparts. Furthermore, individuals with depressive symptoms [aOR = 4.50; 95% CI (2.55-7.96), p = 0.018] were also more likely to be PWID than their counterparts.Conclusion The results of this study indicated that substance use and alcohol-related behaviors, as well as mental health concerns such as depressive symptoms, were significantly associated with injecting drug use. The findings support the promotion of harm-reduction and prevention strategies that incorporate mental health programs for populations at high risk for HIV.
SN - 2674-0001
ER -