Associations of hair cortisol levels with violence, poor mental health, and harmful alcohol and other substance use among female sex workers in Nairobi, Kenya.

ABSTRACT: Violence, poor mental health, and harmful substance use are commonly experienced by female sex workers (FSWs) in sub-Saharan Africa, all of which are associated with increased HIV susceptibility. We aimed to investigate the associations between violence, poor mental health and harmful alcohol/substance use with hair cortisol concentration (HCC) levels as a potential biological pathway linking the experiences of these stressors and HIV vulnerability. We used the baseline data of the Maisha Fiti study of FSWs in Nairobi, Kenya. Participants reported recent violence, poor mental health, and harmful alcohol/substance use. Hair samples proximal to the scalp were collected to measure cortisol levels determined by ELISA. We analysed the data of 425 HIV-negative respondents who provided at least 2

SUBMITTER: Panneh M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11358571 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature