Jessie Mbwambo
Biographic Data
| ID | 280514 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Jessie Mbwambo |
| GIVEN NAMES | Jessie |
| FAMILY NAME | Mbwambo |
| SIGNATURE | MBWAMBO J |
| AFFILIATIONS | Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 65 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 162 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 65 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2001 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2024 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
“You know that we travel a lot”
Female sex workers (FSW) are highly mobile, which may result in reduced access to and use of health services and increased risk for poor health outcomes, particularly for those living with HIV. Mobility includes spatial, temporal, and social elements that are not fully captured by quantitative measures. We conducted two rounds of in-depth interviews with FSW living with HIV in Iringa, Tanzania (n = 20), and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (n = …
From trauma to transmission
These findings suggest trauma is common in the life history of WWUDHIV and has negative impacts on drug use and HIV vulnerability. Our life history charting highlights the cumulative and cyclical nature of trauma and drug use in this population. This study allows for better understanding of trauma, drug use, and HIV prevention, which offers opportunities for intervention among a group with limited access to services: during adolescence for orphan…
Why local concepts matter
There is considerable variation in the presentation of mental health problems across cultural contexts. Most screening and assessment tools do not capture local idioms and culturally specific presentations of distress, thus introducing measurement error and overlooking meaningful variation in mental health. Before applying screening and assessment tools in a particular context, a qualitative exploration of locally salient idioms and expression of…
“She is the one who knows”
Despite documented interest among female sex workers (FSW), uptake of oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention has been low. Recent trials and regulatory approval of long-acting injectable (LAI) PrEP offer new hope for the potential of this biomedical intervention. We examined FSW’s PrEP-related interest and preferences regarding both oral and LAI PrEP situating these dynamics within their specific social and occupational realities…
Examining implementation of an intervention to reduce psychological distress and intimate partner violence in a refugee camp setting
An integrated approach to reduce intimate partner violence and improve mental health in humanitarian settings requires coordination across health and protection services. We developed and tested the Nguvu intervention, which combined evidence-based interventions for psychological distress and intimate partner violence among Congolese refugee women in Nyarugusu refugee camp (Tanzania). We conducted 29 semi-structured interviews with Nguvu particip…
Cost effectiveness of simplified HCV screening-and-treatment interventions for people who inject drugs in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania
Acceptability and perceptions of HIV oral self-testing across settings
Rapid oral HIV self-tests (HIVST) have potential to increase the proportion of people who know their HIV status, especially among stigmatised populations. This study was embedded in two cohorts of female sex workers (FSW) in the Dominican Republic (DR) and Tanzania. Qualitative interviews with 40 FSW were conducted to explore perceived acceptability of HIVST. Interviews were analysed using inductive and deductive thematic coding. Emergent themes …
Multilevel Determinants of Integrated Service Delivery for Intimate Partner Violence and Mental Health in Humanitarian Settings
Inter-agency guidelines recommend that survivors of intimate partner violence in humanitarian settings receive multisectoral services consistent with a survivor-centered approach. Providing integrated services across sectors is challenging, and aspirations often fall short in practice. In this study, we explore factors that influence the implementation of a multisectoral, integrated intervention intended to reduce psychological distress and intim…
We are in this together
The study found that couples made joint decisions regarding study participation and uptake of HIV-related medication. Relational autonomy and dyadic-level influence should be considered within research and programs involving HIV serodiscordant couples
Development of the Experiences of Sex Work Stigma Scale Using Item Response Theory
While HIV stigma has received significant attention, limited work has been conducted on the measurement of intersecting stigmas. We developed the Experiences of Sex Work Stigma (ESWS) scale in the Dominican Republic (DR) and Tanzania. We conducted in-depth interviews with 20 female sex workers (FSW) per country to identify scale domains followed by cognitive debriefing interviews to assess content validity. Items were administered in a survey to …
Mindfulness, Mental Health and HIV Outcomes Among Female Sex Workers in the Dominican Republic and Tanzania
Upscaling prevention, testing and treatment to control hepatitis C as a public health threat in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
High occurrence of witnessing an opioid overdose in a sample of women who use heroin in Tanzania
Time-space constraints to HIV treatment engagement among women who use heroin in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Essential elements of a community empowerment approach to HIV prevention among female sex workers engaged in project Shikamana in Iringa, Tanzania
Globally, female sex workers bear a disproportionate burden of HIV, with those in sub-Saharan Africa being among the most affected. Community empowerment approaches have proven successful at preventing HIV among this population. These approaches facilitate a process whereby sex workers take collective ownership over programmes to address the barriers they face in accessing their health and human rights. Limited applications of such approaches hav…
Developing an integrated intervention to address intimate partner violence and psychological distress in Congolese refugee women in Tanzania
ISRCTN65771265, June 27, 2016
Evaluating the Integrated Methadone and Anti-Retroviral Therapy Strategy in Tanzania Using the RE-AIM Framework
There are an estimated 50,000 people who inject drugs in Tanzania, with an HIV prevalence in this population of 42%. The Integrated Methadone and Anti-Retroviral Therapy (IMAT) strategy was developed to integrate HIV services into an opioid treatment program (OTP) in sub-Saharan Africa and increase anti-retroviral therapy (ART) initiation rates. In this paper, we evaluate the IMAT strategy using an implementation science framework to inform futur…
Do Sexual Partners Talk to Each Other About HIV? Exploring Factors Associated with HIV-Related Partner Communication Among Men and Women in Tanzania
Adapting the Risk Environment Framework to Understand Substance Use, Gender-Based Violence, and HIV Risk Behaviors Among Female Sex Workers in Tanzania
Community Savings Groups, Financial Security, and HIV Risk Among Female Sex Workers in Iringa, Tanzania
You already drank my beer, I can decide anything’
Female sex workers experience high rates of gender-based violence and HIV. Alcohol has been shown to facilitate women's risk of both gender-based violence and HIV; however, little research has explored how aspects of the sex work environment shape this risk. Drawing on structuration theory, this study explored how social conduct is patterned across time and space within the sex work environment to influence alcohol consumption, gender-based viole…
Physical partner violence, women’s economic status and help-seeking behaviour in Dar es Salaam and Mbeya, Tanzania
BACKGROUND: Women's responses to partner violence are influenced by a complex constellation of factors including: psychological attachment to the partner; context of the abuse; and structural factors, all of which shape available options for women outside of the relationship. OBJECTIVE: To describe women's responses to physical partner violence; and to understand the role of women's economic resources on their responses. METHODS: Cross-sectional …
Social and structural factors related to HIV risk among truck drivers passing through the Iringa region of Tanzania
Truck drivers and their assistants have been identified as groups at higher risk for HIV infection. We sought to identify and describe the social and structural factors that may contribute to HIV risk among truck drivers who visit rest stops in Iringa, Tanzania, a region characterized by high levels of migration and mobility. This analysis was part of a comprehensive strategic assessment to examine HIV risk factors in Iringa. This analysis focuse…
Age-Related Differences in Socio-demographic and Behavioral Determinants of HIV Testing and Counseling in HPTN 043/Nimh Project Accept
Youth represent a large proportion of new HIV infections worldwide, yet their utilization of HIV testing and counseling (HTC) remains low. Using the post-intervention, cross-sectional, population-based household survey done in 2011 as part of HPTN 043/NIMH Project Accept, a cluster-randomized trial of community mobilization and mobile HTC in South Africa (Soweto and KwaZulu Natal), Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Thailand, we evaluated age-related differe…
Prevalence and predictors of HCV among a cohort of opioid treatment patients in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Violence against women is strongly associated with suicide attempts
A comparison of HIV/Aids-related stigma in four countries
HIV-Positive Women Report More Lifetime Partner Violence
Objectives. Experiences of partner violence were compared between HIV-positive and HIV-negative women. Methods. Of 340 women enrolled, 245 (72%) were followed and interviewed 3 months after HIV testing to estimate the prevalence and identify the correlates of violence. Results. The odds of reporting at least 1 violent event was significantly higher among HIV-positive women than among HIV-negative women (physical violence odds ratio [OR] = 2.63; 9…
Exploring the association between women's access to economic resources and intimate partner violence in Dar es Salaam and Mbeya, Tanzania
Women's Paid Work and Intimate Partner Violence
Theoretical and empirical research provide conflicting views on whether women who do paid work are less at risk from violence by an intimate partner in low- and middle-income countries. Economic household-bargaining models propose increased access to monetary resources will enhance women's “agency” and hence their bargaining power within the household, which reduces their vulnerability to intimate-partner violence. Feminist theorists also argue, …
Social venues that protect against and promote HIV risk for young men in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Using the Inequitable Gender Norms Scale and Associated HIV Risk Behaviors among Men at High Risk for HIV in Ghana and Tanzania
Context:Gender norms influence unintended pregnancy, maternal health, HIV/AIDS infection, and act as barriers to reproductive health services. The Gender Equitable Men (GEM) scale has been used widely in programs and research in African settings, but it has yet to be statistically validated.Method:We examined the internal and external validity of the Inequitable Gender Norms (IGN) subscale of the GEM scale in Tanzania and Ghana using a two-step, …
Condoms "contain worms" and "cause HIV" in Tanzania
Time-space constraints to HIV treatment engagement among women who use heroin in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Physical violence by a partner during pregnancy in Tanzania
Violence by an intimate partner, including violence during pregnancy, is an important human rights and public health issue. This paper presents the findings from large household surveys conducted in Mbeya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in 2001–2002, as part of the WHO Multi-Country Study on Women's Health and Domestic Violence against Women. Seven (n=88) and twelve per cent (n=147) of ever-partnered, ever-pregnant women in Dar es Salaam (n=1,298) a…
Predictors of HIV-1 serostatus disclosure
OBJECTIVES: To examine the socio-demographic and behavioral factors predictive of women's disclosure of an HIV-positive test result in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. DESIGN: From April 1995 to May 2000, 1078 HIV-positive pregnant women participated in an ongoing randomized trial on micronutrients and HIV-1 vertical transmission and progression. Disclosure to a partner or to a female relative was assessed 2 months after post-test counseling and at 6 mon…
Women's barriers to HIV-1 testing and disclosure
In view of the ever-increasing HIV/AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa, the expansion of HIV-1 voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) as an integral part of prevention strategies and medical research is both a reality and an urgent need. As the availability of HIV-1 VCT grows two limitations need to be addressed, namely: low rates of HIV-1 serostatus disclosure to sexual partners and negative outcomes of serostatus disclosure. Results from a stu…
Validity of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist‐25 amongst HIV‐positive pregnant women in Tanzania
Objective: To validate the Hopkins Symptom Checklist‐25 (HSCL‐25) for use as a depression screen amongst human immuno‐deficiency virus (HIV) positive pregnant women. Method: Amongst 903 (mean age 24.8 years) HIV‐positive pregnant women, a two‐phased design included measures for health‐related quality of life, perceived social support, and the HSCL‐25 screen for depressive (HSCL‐15 subscale) and anxiety symptoms. The Structured Clinical Interview …
HIV-Positive Women Report More Lifetime Partner Violence
Objectives. Experiences of partner violence were compared between HIV-positive and HIV-negative women. Methods. Of 340 women enrolled, 245 (72%) were followed and interviewed 3 months after HIV testing to estimate the prevalence and identify the correlates of violence. Results. The odds of reporting at least 1 violent event was significantly higher among HIV-positive women than among HIV-negative women (physical violence odds ratio [OR] = 2.63; 9…
High Rates and Positive Outcomes of HIV-Serostatus Disclosure to Sexual Partners
Depressive Symptoms Increase Risk of HIV Disease Progression and Mortality Among Women in Tanzania
The effect of depression on HIV disease progression was examined among 996 HIV-positive Tanzanian women participating in a trial on micronutrients and pregnancy outcomes, vertical transmission, and disease progression. Depression and social support were measured 2 months after HIV screening and every 6 to 12 months thereafter. Depression measures from pregnancy and more than 12 months postpartum were included in this analysis. Participants' clini…
Skinning the goat and pulling the load
Transactional sex has been associated with risk of HIV infection in a number of studies throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Urban young women are economically vulnerable and at heightened risk of HIV infection in Tanzania; yet there are few studies that have explored relationship dynamics, including transactional sex, in this setting. This paper sheds light on the broader context of sexual relationships among youth at risk for HIV, how transactional s…
Detecting Depressive Disorder With a 19-Item Local Instrument in Tanzania
Background: Based on experience with the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 (HSCL-25) in a Tanzanian population, this study attempted to develop a locally specific screen that employs indigenous expressions. Aim and method: Thirty ethnographically derived local idioms were added and the final 47-item questionnaire administered to 787 randomly selected antenatal clinic attendees. Results: Logistic regression identified 19 items for the Dar-es-Salaam Sym…
Detecting Depressive Disorder With the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 in Tanzania
Background: Assessment of the growing prevalence of depression in developing countries is hampered by a lack of valid diagnostic instruments for the local settings. Aim and method: This study attempted to examine the validity of the 25-item Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-25) in a special primary care population in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Results: 787 antenatal participants were recruited, and their responses revealed good internal consistency, …
Keep Talking About It
A comparison of HIV/Aids-related stigma in four countries
Social venues that protect against and promote HIV risk for young men in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Physical violence by a partner during pregnancy in Tanzania
Violence by an intimate partner, including violence during pregnancy, is an important human rights and public health issue. This paper presents the findings from large household surveys conducted in Mbeya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in 2001–2002, as part of the WHO Multi-Country Study on Women's Health and Domestic Violence against Women. Seven (n=88) and twelve per cent (n=147) of ever-partnered, ever-pregnant women in Dar es Salaam (n=1,298) a…
Medication assisted therapy (MAT) and substance use disorders in Tanzania
Purpose Substance use is among the risk factors associated with both HIV/AIDS and non communicable diseases (NCDs). The aim of this paper is to describe the development of the medication assisted therapy (MAT) in the treatment of substance use disorders and opportunities for further interventions in Tanzania. Design/methodology/approach A review of MAT pilot project documentation, existing published and grey literature on substance misuse in Tanz…
Violence against women is strongly associated with suicide attempts
A call for parental monitoring to improve condom use among secondary school students in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
A high level of parental monitoring is associated with more consistent condom use among male students in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania -- many of whom have engaged in high-risk sexual behaviors such as multiple sexual partnerships, concurrent sexual partnerships, and unprotected sexual intercourse in the past one year. Interventions should thus be strengthened to reduce multiple sexual partnerships, concurrent sexual partnerships, and to improve parent…
Health diplomacy and the adaptation of global health interventions to local needs in sub-Saharan Africa and Thailand
Adaptation selection, development and approval during multi-site global health research studies should be a planned process that maintains fidelity to the study protocol. The successful implementation of appropriate site-specific adaptations may have important implications for intervention implementation, from both a service uptake and a global health diplomacy perspective
Acceptability of Medical Male Circumcision and Improved Instrument Sanitation Among a Traditionally Circumcising Group in East Africa
From Coitus to Concurrency
Condoms "contain worms" and "cause HIV" in Tanzania
Drug trafficking, use, and HIV risk
The rapid increase in communication and transportation between Africa and other continents as well as the erosion of social fabric attended by poverty, ethnic conflicts, and civil wars has led to increased trafficking and consumption of illicit drugs. Cannabis dominates illicit trade and accounts for as much as 40% of global interdiction. Due to escalating seizures in recent years, the illicit trade in heroin and cocaine has become a concern that…
The changing cultural and economic dynamics of polygyny and concurrent sexual partnerships in Iringa, Tanzania
Polygyny has been identified both as a 'benign' form of concurrency and as the cultural basis of concurrent partnerships that are considered important drivers of the HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa. This paper investigates the changing cultural and economic dynamics of polygyny in concurrency in Iringa, Tanzania, a region with traditions of polygyny and high prevalence of HIV. Our analysis of focus group discussions, in-depth interviews and ke…
Community perspectives on parental influence on engagement in multiple concurrent sexual partnerships among youth in Tanzania
Although concurrent sexual partnerships (CPs) have been hypothesized to be an important risk factor for HIV in sub-Saharan Africa, the social and cultural factors that encourage CPs are not well understood. This study explored the community's perspectives on the role that parents can play in influencing their children's decision to engage in CPs. We conducted 16 in-depth interviews, 32 focus group discussions, and 16 key informant interviews with…
Reported Physical and Sexual Abuse in Childhood and Adult HIV Risk Behaviour in Three African Countries
Using the Inequitable Gender Norms Scale and Associated HIV Risk Behaviors among Men at High Risk for HIV in Ghana and Tanzania
Context:Gender norms influence unintended pregnancy, maternal health, HIV/AIDS infection, and act as barriers to reproductive health services. The Gender Equitable Men (GEM) scale has been used widely in programs and research in African settings, but it has yet to be statistically validated.Method:We examined the internal and external validity of the Inequitable Gender Norms (IGN) subscale of the GEM scale in Tanzania and Ghana using a two-step, …
Medicine (60 works) · Tanzania (54 works) · HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions (42 works) · Environmental health (36 works) · HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk (35 works) · Family medicine (34 works) · Psychiatry (34 works) · Psychology (29 works) · Socioeconomics (29 works) · Sociology (28 works)