{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T13:31:34Z","timestamp":1787059894313,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787011200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001322","name":"South African Medical Research Council","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["MRC-RFACC 01-2014"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["MRC-RFACC 01-2014"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001322","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"award":["MRC-RFACC 01-2014"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["MRC-RFACC 01-2014"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/05q60vz69","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Trop. Med. Infect. Dis.","TropicalMed"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Alcohol and tobacco use remain important public health concerns among people living with HIV (PLWH), even after achieving viral load suppression. This study examined the socio-demographic factors associated with alcohol and tobacco use among virally suppressed PLWH in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 244 adults receiving antiretroviral therapy with suppressed viral loads at public healthcare facilities in the Eastern Cape Province. Data were collected using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and the WHO STEPwise questionnaire. Alcohol use was classified according to the AUDIT, and participants were further categorised into low-risk (AUDIT score &lt; 8) and risky drinking (AUDIT score \u2265 8) for regression analyses. Associations between socio-demographic characteristics and alcohol use were initially examined using cross-tabulations and exact tests where appropriate. Univariable and multivariable binary logistic regression analyses were subsequently performed to identify factors independently associated with risky alcohol use and smoking. Adjusted odds ratios (AORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were reported, with statistical significance set at p &lt; 0.05. Results: Of the 244 participants, 57.0% were female, and 61.5% were employed. Based on the total AUDIT score, 60.2% of participants were classified as risky drinkers, while 44.3% were current smokers. In the multivariable analysis, employment was independently associated with risky alcohol use (AOR = 2.03, 95% CI: 1.11\u20133.73) and current smoking (AOR = 3.75, 95% CI: 1.98\u20137.08). Compared with single participants, married (AOR = 2.61, 95% CI: 1.25\u20135.45), separated (AOR = 5.19, 95% CI: 1.98\u201313.60), and divorced participants (AOR = 3.32, 95% CI: 1.05\u201310.49) had higher odds of risky alcohol use. Conclusion: Alcohol use and tobacco smoking remain common among virally suppressed PLWH in the Eastern Cape Province. Although viral load suppression is an important treatment outcome, it does not fully reflect broader health behaviours that may compromise long-term health. Integrating routine screening for alcohol and tobacco use, together with targeted behavioural interventions and harm reduction strategies, into comprehensive HIV care may improve long-term health outcomes.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/tropicalmed11080230","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T13:11:57Z","timestamp":1787058717000},"page":"230","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Socio-Demographic Factors Associated with Alcohol and Tobacco Use Among Virally Suppressed People Living with HIV in the Eastern Cape, South Africa"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"11","author":[{"given":"Zanele Bennedict","family":"Nomatshila","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha 5117, South Africa"},{"name":"Department of Social Work, Faculty of Law, Humanities and Social Science, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha 5117, South Africa"},{"name":"Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6485-2059","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Guillermo Alfredo","family":"Pulido Estrada","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha 5117, South Africa"},{"name":"Biostatistics and Analytics Training Services, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha 5117, South Africa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sibusiso Cyprian","family":"Nomatshila","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha 5117, South Africa"},{"name":"Society and Health Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha 5117, South Africa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1329-3864","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Teke Ruffin","family":"Apalata","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK"},{"name":"School of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha 5117, South Africa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"S12","DOI":"10.12968\/bjon.2023.32.1.S12","article-title":"Synergistic effect of antiretroviral therapy adherence and viral load suppression on quality of life of people with HIV\/AIDS","volume":"32","author":"Nurwijayanti","year":"2023","journal-title":"Br. 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