Motivation to Quit Drinking in Individuals Coinfected with HIV and Hepatitis C

Alcohol consumption is common among individuals coinfected with HIV and hepatitis C (HCV) despite the uniquely harmful effects in this population. Limited research has examined factors that could influence drinking reduction or cessation among HIV/HCV coinfected persons; this study investigates motivation to quit. Participants were 110 alcohol-consuming HIV/HCV coinfected patients recruited from medical clinics. Participants self-reported 90-day drinking frequency and intensity; alcohol-related problems; reasons to quit drinking; reasons to drink; and motivation to quit drinking. Participants consumed alcohol on 54.1 (± 26.9) of the past 90 days. In a multivariate model that controlled for demographic variables, motivation to quit drinking was directly associated with alcohol-related problems (βy·x = 0.35, p = .007) and reasons to quit drinking (βy·x = 0.23, p = .021), and inversely associated with drinking for enhancement (βy·x = − 0.36, p = .004). This study identified several factors associated with motivation to quit drinking in a sample of alcohol-consuming HIV/HCV patients.