Mark J Siedner

Biographic Data

ID4434332
NAMEMark J Siedner
GIVEN NAMESMark J
FAMILY NAMESiedner
SIGNATURESIEDNER M J
AFFILIATIONSHarvard University
ORCID0000-0003-3506-842X
VERIFIEDYes
TOTAL WORKS54
TOTAL CITATIONS5
AUTHOR COUNT54
EDITOR COUNT0
FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR2012
LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR2026
H-INDEX1

  • Physical activity interventions for cardiometabolic and psychosocial outcomes in people living with HIV in sub Saharan Africa

    Open AccessSmart Z Mabweazara, Jennifer Manne-Goehler et al.ARTICLEPLOS Global Public Health2026

    Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has extended the lifespan of people living with HIV (PWH), resulting in a growing burden of cardiometabolic disease (CMD) associated with chronic HIV infection and the effects of ART. Physical activity (PA) may reduce CMD risk while improving psychosocial health among PWH. We systematically reviewed the efficacy of PA interventions for improving cardiometabolic and psychosocial outcomes among PWH in sub-Saharan Africa…

  • Early impact of the Liberian National Community Health Assistant Program on under-five mortality in Grand Bassa County

    Open AccessHawa I Obaje, Emily E White et al.ARTICLEPLOS Global Public Health2026

    Liberia instituted a National Community Health Assistant Program (NCHAP) to increase primary healthcare access for residents living >5 km from health facilities. We evaluated the impact of this program on under-five mortality in rural Grand Bassa County as it was rolled out, between 2018 and 2022. The program was implemented in a stepped manner two districts at-a-time across Grand Bassa County from 2018 to 2022, allowing for a quasi-experimental …

  • Prevalence of abnormal spirometry and correlates of lung function decline among a population in rural Uganda

    Open AccessMarvah Hill Pierre-Louis, Yiqi Qian et al.ARTICLEJournal of Global Health2026

    Background: Chronic lung disease, which is the third leading cause of death globally, places a disproportionate burden of morbidity and mortality on sub-Saharan Africa, where limited infrastructure results in a lack of understanding of how lung function changes over time, whether it varies among susceptible populations, or whether at-risk individuals could be identified before abnormal lung function develops. To address this gap, we aimed to char…

  • Evaluating global health programmes targeting under-5 mortality

    Open AccessAvi Kenny, Mark J Siedner et al.ARTICLEBMJ Global Health2026

    Reducing the under-5 mortality rate (U5MR) is a key public health priority and remains a persistent challenge in low- and middle-income countries. Many interventions have been developed in attempts to lower U5MR through partnerships between governments, funding partners, researchers, product developers and non-governmental organisations. The well-intentioned desire to use data to set priorities has led to many large-scale evaluations that specify…

  • Kidney disease screening at ART initiation among adults with HIV in Uganda

    Open AccessGrace Kansiime, Joseph Baruch Baluku et al.ARTICLEPLOS Global Public Health2026

    Kidney disease affects 850 million people worldwide, with Sub-Saharan Africa bearing a significant burden. People living with HIV (PWH) are at increased risk due to nephrotoxicity of antiretroviral therapy (ART), in part due to widespread use of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate. In response, Uganda recommends routine kidney disease screening by doing a serum creatinine test at ART initiation. However, the extent of adherence to these guidelines rema…

  • Initiation, cessation and relapse of tobacco smoking over a 3-year period among participants aged ≥15 years in a large longitudinal cohort in rural South Africa

    Open AccessRonel Sewpaul, Stephen Olivier et al.ARTICLEPLOS Global Public Health2025

    Tobacco smoking is increasing in many low-and-middle-income countries, but data about initiation and cessation patterns are sparse, particularly in rural areas. We investigated changes in smoking status and their determinants in rural South Africa. Participants enrolled in the Vukuzazi population cohort in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa completed a baseline tobacco behavioural survey during 1 May 2018 to 31 March 2020. A follow-up survey was c…

  • Navigating HIV care in a mobile society

    Nsika Sithole, Busisiwe Nkosi et al.ARTICLEAIDS Care2025

    In South Africa, people living with HIV (PWH) often relocate for work and family obligations, which creates unique challenges for continuous HIV care. We explored the experiences of mobile individuals living with HIV navigating clinic transfers without formal letters. A qualitative study was conducted with PWH on antiretroviral therapy (ART) from two clinics in KwaZulu-Natal. Participants, who had not disclosed their HIV treatment history at regi…

  • Alcohol Use and the Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Continuum of Care Among Men in Rural South Africa

    Open AccessAlison Castle, Jacob Busang et al.ARTICLEAIDS and Behavior2025

    Despite freely available oral HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), HIV incidence among young men in South Africa remains high. This study explores the impact of alcohol use on PrEP initiation and continuation among South African men. We performed a secondary data analysis from a trial involving men aged 16-29, randomly selected in KwaZulu-Natal. Participants were referred to sexual health services, and those who were HIV negative and sexually act…

  • Changes in tobacco use in rural South Africa during the 2020 tobacco sales ban

    Acadia Thielking, Yiqi Qian et al.ARTICLETobacco Control2025

    South Africa's 2020 tobacco sales ban, prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, was associated with a 26% decrease in retrospectively reported tobacco use prevalence among a rural cohort. Tobacco use largely, but not completely, rebounded after the ban

  • Longitudinal Trends in Physical Activity Among Older Adults With and Without HIV in Uganda

    Open AccessAneeka Ratnayake, Yao Tong et al.ARTICLEJournal of Aging and Health2025References: 4

    Introduction Physical Activity (PA) and its links to frailty, quality of life (QoL), and other comorbidities in older Ugandans living with HIV remain under-explored. Methods We analyzed data from three annual assessments of older people living with HIV (PLWH) and age- and sex-similar people not living with HIV (PnLWH). We fitted linear generalized estimating equations (GEE) regression models to estimate the correlates of PA, including demographic…

  • Convergence of HIV and non-communicable disease epidemics

    Open AccessDiego F Cuadros, Chayanika Devi et al.ARTICLEBMJ Global Health2024

    INTRODUCTION: As people living with HIV (PLHIV) are experiencing longer survival, the co-occurrence of HIV and non-communicable diseases has become a public health priority. In response to this emerging challenge, we aimed to characterise the spatial structure of convergence of chronic health conditions in an HIV hyperendemic community in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we used data from a comprehensive popula…

  • The impact of tobacco smoking and smoking cessation on lung cancer and stroke incidence among people with HIV on antiretroviral therapy in South Africa

    Open AccessHelen D’Couto, Acadia M Thielking et al.ARTICLEBMJ Global Health2024

    INTRODUCTION: With declining HIV-related mortality, over 20% of people with HIV (PWH) in South Africa are now over age 50 years, and tobacco-related non-communicable disease burden is increasing. We quantified the impact of smoking and smoking cessation on lung cancer and stroke incidence among PWH in South Africa. METHODS: Using a microsimulation model, we simulated 18 cohorts of initially virologically suppressed PWH over their lifetime, catego…

  • Trends in body mass index for people with and without HIV

    Open AccessRodrigo M Carrillo-Larco, Caroline A Bulstra et al.ARTICLEPLOS Global Public Health2024

    It remains unclear if and how body mass index (BMI) levels have changed over time in HIV endemic regions. We described trends in mean BMI and prevalence of overweight between 2003–2019 in 10 countries in Africa including people living with (PLWH) and without (PLWoH) HIV. We pooled Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) from countries where ≥2 surveys >4 years apart were available with height/weight measurements and HIV tests. HIV status was ascerta…

  • Association between tobacco smoking and prevalence of HIV, tuberculosis, hypertension and diabetes in rural South Africa

    Open AccessGlory Chidumwa, Stephen Olivier et al.ARTICLEBMC Public Health2024

    In rural South Africa, smoking is associated with higher prevalence of active TB, and people with HIV who smoke have worse disease control. In contrast, hypertension and diabetes mellitus are less common in those who smoke. Interventions to screen for TB among those who smoke and to address smoking among people with HIV may be particularly impactful

  • HIV, Social Networks, and Loneliness among Older Adults in Uganda

    Open AccessLien Quach, Christine S Ritchie et al.ARTICLEAIDS and Behavior2024

  • I Didn’t Reveal My ART Status Because I Didn’t Have Money to Fetch the Transfer Letter”– Understanding Lack of Treatment Disclosure at Presentation to Care in South Africa

    Open AccessNsika Sithole, Busisiwe Nkosi et al.ARTICLEAIDS and Behavior2024

    We explored why people may not reveal their antiretroviral therapy (ART) status when presenting for HIV care, and how a linked electronic system may help address this phenomenon. Data were collected from March to October 2023 from people who presented to clinics for an HIV test in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa but found to be on ART, as well from staff at those clinics. Themes drawn from the Andersen's health service utilization framework and the d…

  • Correlates of Sleep Health among Older-Age People with and without HIV in Uganda

    Open AccessMoka Yoo‐jeong, Aneeka Ratnayake et al.ARTICLEAIDS and Behavior2024

    There is a growing population of older people with HIV (PWH) in Uganda. Sleep problems disproportionately affect older people and PWH. This study aimed to estimate correlates of sleep health among older Ugandans (aged ≥ 50 years) with and without HIV, using data from the Quality of Life and Aging with HIV in Rural Uganda Study. We used the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index to assess sleep quality, duration, and efficiency. We fitted multivariable li…

  • Covid-19 vaccine uptake, confidence and hesitancy in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa between April 2021 and April 2022

    Open AccessRachael Piltch-Loeb, Lusanda Mazibuko et al.ARTICLEPLOS Global Public Health2023

    High COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in South Africa limits protection against future epidemic waves. We evaluated how vaccine hesitancy and its correlates evolved April 2021-April 2022 in a well-characterized rural KwaZulu-Natal setting. All residents aged >15 in the Africa Health Research Institute’s surveillance area were invited to complete a home-based, in-person interview. We described vaccine uptake and hesitancy trends, then evaluated associat…

  • Identifying sex-specific anthropometric measures and thresholds for dysglycemia screening in an HIV-endemic rural South African population

    Open AccessAlison Castle, Susanne S Hoeppner et al.ARTICLEPLOS Global Public Health2023

    Valid screening and diagnostic algorithms are needed to achieve 2030 targets proposed by the WHO’s Global Diabetes Compact . We explored anthropometric thresholds to optimally screen and refer individuals for diabetes testing in rural South Africa. We evaluated screening thresholds for waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), and waist-hip ratio (WHR) to detect dysglycemia based on a glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C) ≥6.5% among adults in a pop…

  • It takes more than a machine

    Open AccessRoss M Boyce, Ronnie Ndizeye et al.ARTICLEPLOS Global Public Health2023

    Barriers continue to limit access to viral load (VL) monitoring across sub-Saharan Africa adversely impacting control of the HIV epidemic. The objective of this study was to determine whether the systems and processes required to realize the potential of rapid molecular technology are available at a prototypical lower-level (i.e., level III) health center in rural Uganda. In this open-label pilot study, participants underwent parallel VL testing …

  • Associations of the Covid-19 pandemic with quality of life

    Open AccessBrianne Olivieri‐mui, Brianne Olivieri-Mui et al.ARTICLEJournal of Global Health2023

    Background: COVID-19-related lockdowns and other public health measures may have differentially affected the quality of life (QOL) of older people with and without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in rural Uganda. Methods: The Quality of Life and Aging with HIV in Rural Uganda study enrolled people with and without HIV aged over 49 from October 2020 to October 2021. We collected data on COVID-19-related stressors (behavior changes, concerns, in…

  • Male circumcision uptake and misperceived norms about male circumcision

    Open AccessJessica M Perkins, Bernard Kakuhikire et al.ARTICLEJournal of Global Health2023

    Background: Over the past decade, 15 high-priority countries in eastern and southern Africa have promoted voluntary medical male circumcision for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention. The prevalence of male circumcision in Uganda nearly doubled from 26% in 2011 to 43% in 2016, but remains below the 2020 target level. Little is known about how common male circumcision is perceived to be, how accura…

  • Effects of Maternal HIV Infection and Alcohol Use in Pregnancy on Birth Outcomes in Uganda

    Open AccessJulian Adong, Nicholas Musinguzi et al.ARTICLEAIDS and Behavior2023

  • Perceptions of Health, Body Size, and Nutritional Risk Factors for Obesity in People with HIV in South Africa

    Open AccessJennifer Manne-Goehler, Nicholas Rahim et al.ARTICLEAIDS and Behavior2023

  • The ethics of conducting observational tobacco research without providing treatment to people who use tobacco

    Open AccessGina Kruse, Thando Zulu et al.ARTICLEBMJ Global Health2022

    Introduction Replication of the nuclear genome is an essential step for cell division. Pathogenic variants in genes coding for highly conserved components of the DNA replication machinery cause Meier-Gorlin syndrome (MGORS). Objective Identification of novel genes associated with MGORS. Methods Exome sequencing was performed to investigate the genotype of an individual presenting with prenatal and postnatal growth restriction, a craniofacial gest…