Sylvia Kaaya
Biographic Data
| ID | 242433 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Sylvia Kaaya |
| GIVEN NAMES | Sylvia |
| FAMILY NAME | Kaaya |
| SIGNATURE | KAAYA S |
| AFFILIATIONS | Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-6732-3590 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 52 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 19 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 52 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1994 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Sexual Violence Against University Students in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sexual violence (SV) is pervasive on university campuses worldwide, with alarmingly high reported rates in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Despite the high reported rates of SV victimization on campuses, existing evidence has not been critically synthesized to give a comprehensive picture of the problem’s extent, common forms, risk factors, and (knowledge about) victims and perpetrators in SSA countries. We aimed to map the existing literature on SV pr…
Caregiver attitudes towards HIV testing and contraceptive services for adolescents in Tanzania
Adolescents are disproportionately vulnerable to unintended pregnancies and delayed HIV treatment in low-resource settings. Tanzanian policies support adolescent access to contraception and HIV testing and counseling (HTC) without parental consent if needed; however, parent/guardian disapproval could lead to unmet service needs. This qualitative study explores factors that influence caregivers’ attitudes towards adolescents accessing these servic…
Visual acuity problems, access to care, and related academic performance among primary school students in Tanzania
Adolescents in lower-resource countries face a high burden of eye health problems. This study in Tanzania aimed to 1) estimate the prevalence of distance vision impairment among young adolescents, 2) describe academic performance by distance visual acuity status, and 3) examine facilitators and barriers to school-facilitated vision screenings and receiving eye care. Participants (primary school students in Standard 7) in the intervention arm of t…
The use of Childbirth Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) and Birth Satisfaction Scale-Revised (BSS-R) in comparing the experiences of mothers with and without HIV in Tanzania
INTRODUCTION: Mothers' experiences at birth and respectful maternal care are critical to achieving Sustainable Development Goal number 3 in Tanzania. However, little is known about the differences in perinatal experience quality between women with and without HIV. To address this gap, we compared mothers' experience at birth among women with and without HIV. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in four Reproductive and Child Health C…
Developing a regional mental health plan for Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Mental health services in sub-Saharan Africa, including Tanzania, are little studied and hence challenges and opportunities are not well known, leading to difficulties in improving access to, and quality of, services to those in need. 1. To conduct a situational analysis of mental health services in Dar es Salaam region, 2. To consult with key stakeholders on mental health services delivery and planning, and 3. To develop a regional mental health…
Generalized and Covid-19 related anxiety among Tanzanian adolescents with HIV and association with HIV outcomes during the Covid-19 pandemic
Low levels of generalized and COVID-19 related anxiety were reported among Tanzanian AWH. Scaling up integrated screening and management of GAD into HIV care for AWH could improve VLS among this population
Adolescents’ and young women’s perspectives on participation in biomedical clinical trials for HIV prevention in Tanzania and India
Adolescent girls and young women are disproportionately affected by HIV in many lower-resource settings. These individuals are often excluded from early clinical trials for new HIV prevention products, thus delaying potential access. We explored adolescent girls' and young women's (AGYW) perceptions of HIV risk, perspectives on trial participation, and understanding of research concepts. Individual or repeated in-depth interviews were conducted w…
Healthcare provider perspectives on barriers and facilitators to integration of cardiovascular disease-related care into HIV care and treatment clinics in urban Tanzania
Background: The increase in the dual burden of HIV and cardiovascular diseases (CVD), calls for the provision of integrated HIV/CVD care. This study aimed to explore barriers and facilitators to the integration of HIV/CVD care within HIV care and treatment clinics (CTCs) in urban, Tanzania. Methods: Between March and April 2023, we conducted 12 key informant interviews with healthcare providers at six HIV CTCs in urban, Tanzania. Guided by the Co…
Social support and managing schizophrenia in Tanzania
Background: In lower-resource settings like Tanzania, people living with schizophrenia (PWS) rely on their families for much of their social support, thus leading family members to become their main caregivers. How PWS and their families understand and implement social support can profoundly impact recovery pathways. This study examines how PWS and caregivers of PWS in Tanzania describe receiving and giving social support. We describe, from the p…
Exploring Risk and Protective Factors for Child Harm Amidst Exposure to Inter-parental Violence
There are limited insights into the differences in perspective between children and adult key-informants on the risk and protective factors for child harm from exposure to inter-parental violence. These differences were explored to inform the development of interventions to decrease levels of child harm. A phenomenological approach guided data collection the Social Construction of Reality Perspective was used to explain the study findings. Thirte…
Patient reported experience measures on HIV viral load testing at public health facilities in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
While viral load (VL) testing is critical to effective treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), little is known about patients’ experiences with, and barriers to VL-testing in the context of HIV infection. We assessed patient reported experience measures (PREMs) on VL-testing in public HIV clinics in Tanzania. In a cross-sectional convergent mixed method study, we collected information on VL test related PREMs, clinical and sociodemograph…
Translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the children's exposure to domestic violence scale (Cedv) from English to Swahili
A 40 items Swahili scale was developed in a rigorous and systematic procedure. • Semantic, conceptual discrepancies and cultural equivalence were reckoned. • The scale enhanced children’s ability to elicit experiences of exposures to violence. • Swahili CEDV is a reliable scale to assess children’s exposure to violence. • Training to develop, adapt and validate childhood assessment scales is recommended. Most scales developed to assess childhood …
Burden of HIV-related stigma and associated factors among women living with depression accessing PMTCT services in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
HIV-related stigma represents a potent risk factor for a range of poor health outcomes, including mental health symptoms, treatment non-adherence, and substance use. Understanding the role of HIV-related stigma in promoting healthcare outcomes is critical for vulnerable populations, such as pregnant women living with HIV, in contexts with continued high rates of HIV and associated stigma, such as sub-Saharan Africa. The current study examined a r…
Prevalence and factors associated with intimate partner violence after HIV status disclosure among pregnant women with depression in Tanzania
Intimate partner violence (IPV) exacts a heavy burden on women, resulting in poor health outcomes. This study had the following aims: (1) estimate the prevalence of IPV post-disclosure of HIV status among pregnant women living with HIV and depression; and (2) evaluate risk and protective factors for IPV post-disclosure. Participants were women accessing PMTCT services at 16 health facilities in Dar es Salaam and screened at the threshold of 9 on …
Depression and Viral Suppression Among Adults Living with HIV in Tanzania
The value of hope
The intervention was registered in USA ClinicalTrials.gov on September 26, 2012, Registration number: NCT01693458
Social and structural determinants of youth alcohol use in Tanzania
Adolescent alcohol use remains an under-addressed population health issue across Africa. Although the literature explores the intersection of alcohol use and vulnerability to HIV and AIDS, there is limited evidence on the gendered uptake and use of alcohol among adolescents. Capturing adolescents' voiced experiences about the societal influences shaping their alcohol usage is essential for identifying contextually relevant interventions to reduce…
Healthy Options
The trial is registered under clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02039973). Retrospectively registered on January 20, 2014
Depression and Sexual Trauma Among Adolescent Girls and Young Women in HIV-Prevention Research in Tanzania
Stakeholder acceptability of adolescent participation in clinical trials for biomedical HIV prevention products
Researchers and advocates have increasingly called for adolescent participation in clinical trials for new HIV prevention products, particularly adolescent girls in areas most affected by the epidemic. However, recent trials have highlighted the challenges for young women and adolescents to be able to effectively use new products that require daily dosing. This analysis provides a highly relevant context for this challenging environment by examin…
Nutritional status among young adolescents attending primary school in Tanzania
Further studies are needed with more nutritionally and demographically diverse populations to better understand the nutritional status of adolescents and the practical contribution of MUAC cut-offs to measure adolescent nutrition
The influence of alcohol outlet density and advertising on youth drinking in urban Tanzania
How Alcohol, Space, and Time Influence Young People’s Sexual Encounters in Tanzania
A significant under-addressed issue in the global adolescent health agenda is the interaction between alcohol use and sexual encounters among adolescent boys and girls in sub-Saharan Africa. The aim of this study was to explore the structural and environmental factors influencing young people's access to and use of alcohol, and subsequent engagement in safe or unsafe sexual behaviors in such contexts, from the perspective of young people themselv…
Effect of the PREPARE intervention on sexual initiation and condom use among adolescents aged 12–14
Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12613000900718 , registered on 13 August, 2013
Abstracts & Reviews
Cross-cultural adaptation of the Child Depression Inventory for use in Tanzania with children affected by HIV
Understanding the impact of the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic is critical for developing appropriate interventions to create supportive environments for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC). Unfortunately, there are very few studies on the psychosocial wellbeing of children orphaned by AIDS in Africa, and even fewer in Tanzania. It has been difficult to make generalizations across studies and to identify and track children …
Sociocognitive Predictors of Condom Use and Intentions Among Adolescents in Three Sub-Saharan Sites
Many HIV intervention programs in sub-Saharan Africa have applied social cognitive theories such as the theory of planned behavior. However, a recent sub-Saharan African review was unable to show increased effectiveness for theory-based interventions. This study assessed whether the predictive value of attitudes, subjective norms, self-efficacy, and intention was similar to studies in Europe and the U.S., and whether there were differences betwee…
Bend a Fish When the Fish Is Not Yet Dry”
Tanzanian Adolescent Boys’ Transitions Through Puberty
We explored the masculinity norms shaping transitions through puberty in rural and urban Tanzania and how these norms and their social-ecological context contribute to high-risk health behaviors. We conducted a qualitative case study of adolescent boys in and out of school in 2011 and 2012. Tanzania’s social and economic development is reshaping the transition into young manhood. Adolescent boys are losing traditional mechanisms of pubertal guida…
The influence of alcohol outlet density and advertising on youth drinking in urban Tanzania
From Teenage Unwanted Pregnancy to Induced Abortion
This article presents results on 150 teenagers admitted with induced abortion complications in Dar es Salaam. The types of people involved in the process from the time the girls suspected they were pregnant to when they were hospitalized was investigated using a semi-structured interview schedule. The data was extracted from a larger data set of 965 consecutive admissions with abortion complications over a period of 45 days. Findings of the study…
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…
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 …
School‐based sexual health interventions in sub‐Saharan Africa
The vulnerability to HIV/AIDS of adolescents and youths raises the need for cost‐effective, school‐based AIDS prevention programmes that encourage safe sexual behaviour. This article reviews school‐based programmes in sub‐Saharan Africa through a critical examination of published evaluations. Our major finding is that there is a paucity of such studies that evaluate school‐based programmes. Furthermore, variations in the content, duration and int…
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…
Harm reduction in Tanzania
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, …
Explaining Adherence Success in Sub-Saharan Africa
BACKGROUND: Individuals living with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa generally take more than 90% of prescribed doses of antiretroviral therapy (ART). This number exceeds the levels of adherence observed in North America and dispels early scale-up concerns that adherence would be inadequate in settings of extreme poverty. This paper offers an explanation and theoretical model of ART adherence success based on the results of an ethnographic study in…
Prevalence of depression and anxiety disorders in HIV-positive outpatients in rural Tanzania
HIV/AIDS is associated with significant mental health morbidity in high-income countries, and depression associated with HIV/AIDS has been linked with faster disease progression and reduced drug adherence. However, research on mental health is scarce in sub-Saharan Africa where infection levels are highest. This cross-sectional study of 220 HIV-positive outpatients at a dedicated Tanzanian HIV/AIDS care centre assessed sociodemographics, clinical…
Cross-cultural adaptation of the Child Depression Inventory for use in Tanzania with children affected by HIV
Understanding the impact of the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic is critical for developing appropriate interventions to create supportive environments for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC). Unfortunately, there are very few studies on the psychosocial wellbeing of children orphaned by AIDS in Africa, and even fewer in Tanzania. It has been difficult to make generalizations across studies and to identify and track children …
Grand challenges in global mental health
How Treatment Partners Help
Treatment partnering is an adherence intervention developed in sub-Saharan Africa. This paper describes the additional social functions that treatment partners serve and shows how these functions contribute to health and survival for patients with HIV/AIDS. Ninety-eight minimally structured interviews were conducted with twenty pairs of adult HIV/AIDS patients (N = 20) and treatment partners (N = 20) treated at a public HIV-care setting in Tanzan…
Randomized controlled trial evaluating the effect of an interactive group counseling intervention for HIV-positive women on prenatal depression and disclosure of HIV status
The objective of the study was to assess the effectiveness of group counseling, using a problem-solving therapy approach, on reducing depressive symptoms and increasing prenatal disclosure rates of HIV status among HIV-positive pregnant women living in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. A randomized controlled trial was performed comparing a six-week structured nurse-midwife facilitated psychosocial support group with the standard of care. Sixty percent of…
Condom use and sexuality communication with adults
The findings are consistent with the assertion that communication on sexuality issues between adolescents and significant adults results in safer sexual practices, as reflected by condom use, among in-school adolescents. The associations between communication variables and condom use might have been stronger if we had measured additional aspects of communication such as whether or not it was initiated by the adolescents themselves, the quality of…
Dynamics of Parent–Adolescent Communication on Sexual Health and HIV/Aids in Tanzania
Boys' and young men's perspectives on violence in Northern Tanzania
The challenge of violence for youth in low-income countries includes a range of experiences from witnessing, to experiencing, to participating in violence. Although boys and young men are often the perpetrators of such violence, they may also be its victims. Yet little evidence exists from the voiced experiences of boys themselves on perceptions and interpretations of the violence around them. Given the numerous negative health implications of vi…
Patient satisfaction with HIV/Aids care at private clinics in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Health system responsiveness (HSR) measures quality of care from the patient's perspective, an important component of ensuring adherence to medication and care among HIV patients. We examined HSR in private clinics serving HIV patients in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. We surveyed 640 patients, 18 or older receiving care at one of 10 participating clinics, examining socioeconomic factors, HIV regimen, and self-reported experience with access and care a…
Association of maternal depression and infant nutritional status among women living with HIV in T anzania
Antenatal and post-natal depression has demonstrated a significant burden in sub-Saharan Africa, with rates ranging from 10% to 35%. However, perinatal women living with HIV in Tanzania have reported an even greater prevalence of depression (43-45%). The primary goal of this study was to examine the relationship between maternal depression and infant malnutrition among women living with HIV. The design was a retrospective cohort study within the …
Promoting sexual and reproductive health among adolescents in southern and eastern Africa (PREPARE)
Controlled Trials ISRCTN56270821 (Cape Town); Controlled Trials ISRCTN10386599 (Limpopo); Clinical Trials NCT01772628 (Kampala); Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12613000900718 (Dar es Salaam)
Domestic Violence Among Adolescents in HIV Prevention Research in Tanzania
Tanzanian Adolescent Boys’ Transitions Through Puberty
We explored the masculinity norms shaping transitions through puberty in rural and urban Tanzania and how these norms and their social-ecological context contribute to high-risk health behaviors. We conducted a qualitative case study of adolescent boys in and out of school in 2011 and 2012. Tanzania’s social and economic development is reshaping the transition into young manhood. Adolescent boys are losing traditional mechanisms of pubertal guida…
Adolescents’ Communication with Parents, Other Adult Family Members and Teachers on Sexuality
Social Cognition Variables and Victimization as Predictors of Sexual Debut Among Adolescents in South Africa and Tanzania
Bend a Fish When the Fish Is Not Yet Dry”
Medicine (43 works) · Tanzania (38 works) · Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (29 works) · HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions (29 works) · Psychology (27 works) · Psychiatry (26 works) · Psychological intervention (23 works) · Family medicine (18 works) · Environmental health (17 works) · Sociology (17 works)