Document 0917
 DOCN  M9540917
 TI    HIV infection: social network, social support, and CD4 lymphocyte values
       in infected homosexual men in Malmo, Sweden.
 DT    9504
 AU    Persson L; Gullberg B; Hanson BS; Moestrup T; Ostergren PO; Department
       of Community Health Sciences, Lund University, Malmo; General Hospital,
       Sweden.
 SO    J Epidemiol Community Health. 1994 Dec;48(6):580-5. Unique Identifier :
       AIDSLINE MED/95131138
 AB    STUDY OBJECTIVE--The aim was to determine if there is an association
       between social network and social support and the CD4 cell count in HIV
       infected homosexual men. DESIGN--The study was cross sectional. A
       structured questionnaire assessing psychosocial factors such as social
       network and social support was administered at interview. Information on
       CD4 cell counts and HIV symptoms were obtained from participants'
       medical records. SETTING--The study population consisted of all HIV
       seropositive homosexual and bisexual men who had not been diagnosed as
       having AIDS seen at the Department of Infectious Diseases, the only
       hospital clinic in the city of Malmo (230,000 inhabitants), Sweden that
       provides care for HIV infected patients. PARTICIPANTS--Altogether 47
       (68%) of 69 men in the population agreed to be interviewed. MAIN
       RESULTS--A low CD4 cell count was found more frequently in men with low
       social participation scores (OR 3.3; 95% CI 1.0, 11), in those with a
       low adequacy of social participation (OR 3.8; 95% CI 1.1, 13), and in
       men with low material support scores (OR 3.9; 95% CI 1.1, 13). After
       adjustment for age and time of awareness of the HIV infection, the two
       former associations remained statistically significant.
       CONCLUSIONS--These results, if reproduced in a longitudinal study, might
       suggest that psychosocial factors can affect an individual's immune
       system.
 DE    Adult  Age Factors  Cross-Sectional Studies  CD4 Lymphocyte Count
       *Homosexuality, Male  Human  HIV Infections/*IMMUNOLOGY/PSYCHOLOGY  HIV
       Seropositivity  Logistic Models  Male  Middle Age  Social Class  *Social
       Support  Support, Non-U.S. Gov't  Sweden  JOURNAL ARTICLE

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