Matthew B Feldman

New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene · Division of Disease Control

Identifying factors associated with durable viral suppression (DVS) can inform interventions to support young adults living with HIV (YALWH) in sustaining optimal health. We examined associations between client characteristics and DVS among YALWH aged 18–29 who completed an intake assessment and received ≥ 1 Ryan White Part A service in New York Ci...

There is evidence that people with HIV (PWH) receive health-related benefits from having peer support and learning self-management skills. This evaluation assessed the effect of The Positive Life Workshop (TPLW)—a 7-session peer-led HIV self-management program—on psychosocial and HIV treatment outcomes. The overall sample included 1360 PWH who comp...

Use of HIV-related support services has been demonstrated to improve outcomes for people living with HIV. Further exploring patterns of use could help identify how and in what settings additional HIV care and treatment adherence support could be provided. We aimed to identify support service utilization patterns and examine their association with v...

Black and Latina cisgender women are disproportionately impacted by HIV in the US. Although PrEP is effective at preventing HIV infection, uptake in this population remains low. The aim of the study was to examine sociodemographic, behavioral, clinical, and psychosocial factors associated with PrEP initiation (defined as receiving a PrEP prescripti...

Although there is evidence that peer-led HIV treatment interventions are effective in improving health outcomes of people living with HIV (PLWH), few studies have assessed the health and psychosocial benefits of being a peer living with HIV. Qualitative interviews were conducted with nine PLWH who were peers of an HIV self-management intervention,...

Background: Drug use (DU) represents a significant barrier to maintaining physical health among people living with HIV (PLWH). Few studies, however, have examined the relationship between DU over time and HIV treatment outcomes. Such studies are needed because an individual's risk of poor health outcomes may vary with their DU behaviors. We examine...

Few studies have examined the relationship between mental health service utilization and health/mental health outcomes among people living with HIV (PLWH). Such studies are needed to inform the delivery of mental health services for this population, particularly in identifying treatment dosages that will result in clinically significant improvement...

Purpose: To collect information that will inform the development of an intervention to support the maintenance of HIV-related health-promoting behaviors. Design: Focused, in-depth individual and group interviews. Setting: The New York City (NYC) Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) and DOHMH-funded community-based organizations that...

Tobacco smoking is associated with adverse health effects among people living with HIV (PLWH), including a higher risk of cancer and cardiovascular problems. Further, there is evidence that PLWH are two to three times more likely to smoke than the general population. The aim of this study was to examine the association between tobacco smoking and b...

To date, there have been few longitudinal studies of food insecurity among people living with HIV (PLWH). Food insufficiency (FI) is one dimension of the food insecurity construct that refers to periods of time during which individuals have an inadequate amount of food intake because of limited resources. The aim of this analysis was to examine the...

Drug use poses multiple challenges to maintaining physical health among HIV-infected individuals, particularly with regard to disease progression. Few studies, however, have examined the association between the use of crystal methamphetamine ("crystal meth") and HIV disease progression specifically among HIV-infected men who have sex with men (MSM)...

Program evaluation offers an opportunity for improving the implementation and impact of art therapy. This article describes a process and outcomes evaluation of an art therapy program within the mental health services unit of a community-based organization for people living with HIV/AIDS. The aims were to assess utilization patterns and program imp...

The evidence-based interventions that are identified, packaged, and disseminated by the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as part of the Diffusion of Effective Behavioral Interventions (DEBI) initiative-commonly referred to the "DEBIs"-currently represent a primary source of HIV prevention interventio...

BACKGROUND: Hard drug use poses multiple challenges to maintaining physical health among HIV-infected individuals, particularly with regard to disease progression. Few studies, however, have examined the association between hard drug use and HIV disease progression specifically among HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM). Understanding this...

Drug use poses multiple challenges to maintenance of the physical health of HIV-infected individuals. Few studies have explored the association between drug use and HIV treatment outcomes among HIV-infected men who have sex with men (MSM). We aimed to examine the relation between drug use (defined here as use of crystal methamphetamine, crack cocai...

There have been few studies of food insecurity (defined as limited access to nutritionally adequate food) among people living with HIV in the USA, perhaps because this issue is commonly associated with resource-poor countries. However, evidence that people living with HIV in resource-rich countries risk food insecurity underscores the need to under...

This study examined the prevalence and correlates of completing the HIV testing process-specifically receiving a confirmatory HIV test and returning for the results-in a sample of newly diagnosed HIV-positive individuals at an HIV testing center in New York City. Of the 213 individuals who received a reactive rapid HIV test result, 82% received a c...

The purpose of this study was to examine gay men's perceived attractiveness of male figures based on short-term and long-term partner contexts. A sample of 190 gay adult men rated the attractiveness of line-drawings depicting male figures varying systematically in muscularity and body fat percentage in both short-term and long-term dating contexts....

This study evaluated the Rapid Response System, an initiative designed to link people living with HIV/AIDS with mental health services at an AIDS service organization. Data were extracted from agency records for 314 clients who had contact with the Rapid Response System over a 6-month period. Of the 281 clients who scheduled an appointment for an e...

A community needs assessment was conducted at an AIDS service organization in New York City to inform the development of an HIV and substance abuse prevention program for black and Latino young men who have sex with men (YMSM). Data from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene indicated that HIV infections in Black and Latino YMSM...

A healthy diet is essential to maintaining a strong immune system for people living with HIV and AIDS. Prior studies have shown that HIV-positive gay and bisexual men are more susceptible to poor body image, which can negatively impact dietary habits. Interventions that simultaneously address body image and nutrition are therefore critical for this...

This study examines the prevalence of psychiatric disorders among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) men with eating disorders. A total of 388 white, black, and Latino LGB men and women were sampled from community venues. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) diagnoses of anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating di...

Black and Latino young men who have sex with men (YMSM) are disproportionately impacted by HIV infection; however, the reason for this disparity is unclear. To identify possible causes of the higher rates of HIV infection in this population, data from studies of HIV infection and risk-related behaviors among black and Latino YMSM were used to evalu...

Background: A community needs assessment was conducted to inform the development of an HIV and substance abuse prevention program for young men of color who have sex with men (YMSMOC)particularly blacks and Latinoswho are disproportionately impacted by HIV in New York City (NYC). Methods: The community needs assessment was guided by three aims: 1...

Background: Mental health services are important for improving psychological functioning and maintaining physical health for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Many PLWHA face multiple barriers to accessing mental health treatment including procedural issues at provider organizations, such as the failure to identify and engage clients who could b...

Using a probability sample of 912 Latino gay and bisexual men at bars in 3 U.S. cities (Los Angeles, Miami, New York), this study examines how participation in difficult sexual situations with interpersonal (e.g., wanting to please partner) and circumstantial constraints (e.g., sex in partner's home) may explain associations between dimensions of i...

This study examines the association between eating disorders and a history of childhood abuse in gay and bisexual men, and how substance abuse and depression might impact this relationship. 193 white, black, Latino gay, and bisexual men were sampled from community venues. DSM-IV diagnoses of anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder were assesse...

This study estimates the prevalence of eating disorders in lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) men and women, and examines the association between participation in the gay community and eating disorder prevalence in gay and bisexual men. One hundred and twenty six white heterosexuals and 388 white, black, Latino LGB men and women were sampled from com...

This study examined the relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) and HIV sexual risk behavior using a probability sample of 912 Latino gay and bisexual men from three U.S. cities. Prevalence estimates of psychological, physical, and sexual abuse are higher in our sample than usually found in the general population of gay and bisexual or...