Epidemiology: Open Access

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HIV Testing Among Californians Aged 50-64, 2010

Nathaniel Geyer, Margie Parham, Le Shonda Wallace and Wilson Washington Jr

Testing is critical for the prevention and care for the spread of HIV-1 among older adults, aged 50-64. The overarching goal of the research question was to determine some of the reasons adults age 50 and older were not routinely tested for HIV in California in 2010. Secondary data analysis directed from the 2010 edition of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) formed the basis for this project. The surveyed 5,544 adult populations were between ages 50-64 years living in California who completed the core module. The risk and demographic characteristics of the age 50-64 population were obtained from the survey. Data analysis examined whether adults age 50 and older were ever tested for HIV in California. SAS 9.3 statistical software was used for categorical data, by chi-square tests. In addition, geospatial representation of the population of interest and adjusted/multiple logistic regression analyses were performed and how this varies by several demographic and other risk factors/covariates. The outcome of interest, ever tested for HIV group, contained ~30% of the sample of ages 50-64 years. The likelihood of ever tested for HIV was greater for: (a) females (OR=1.82; 95%CI=1.71-1.93) as compared to Males; (b) Attended College (OR=1.58; 95%CI=1.15- 2.16) and Graduated College (OR=1.83; 95%CI=1.33-2.51) compared to attended high school (c) Black, non-Hispanic (OR=1.85; 95%CI=1.33-2.59) compared to White, non-Hispanic; (d) Less than $15,000 (OR=1.78; 95%CI=1.39-2.29) and $25,000-$35,000 (OR=1.37; 95%CI=1.03-1.82) and (e) Low risk groups (OR=3.58; 95%CI=2.05-6.25) compared to high risk groups. The likelihood of ever tested for HIV group was less likely to: Hispanics (OR=0. 61; 95%CI: 0.45-0.82). Currently there is a growing need for continual analysis, appropriate health education and health promotion efforts to increase HIV testing and to promote disease prevention among 50-64 years adults; a group that perceive themselves as low-risk for HIV infection in California.