HIV-1 incidence among male workers at a sugar estate in rural Malawi

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To determine incidence of HIV and associated risk factors in two cohorts of men working at a sugar estate in rural Malawi. DESIGN: Prospective studies. METHODS: After counseling and obtaining informed consent, male workers were tested for HIV-1 and syphilis. Baseline HIV-seronegative men were enrolled in two follow-up studies in 1994 and 1998, and were retested for HIV and syphilis at 6-month follow- up visits. Demographic, behavioral, and medical history was collected at baseline. Cumulative HIV incidence based on Kaplan-Meier methods was estimated. HIV incidence was also estimated per 100 person-years (p-y). Crude and adjusted rate ratios for the association of risk factors with incident HIV infection were obtained using Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: HIV prevalence was 24.3% among 1692 men screened in 1994 and 21.0% among 1349 men screened in 1998 (p