HIV risk perception and problematic alcohol use among urban slum residents in Bangladesh: findings from a cross-sectional survey

HIV continues to be a global public health issue. Urban slums in Bangladesh are at high risk for the HIV epidemic, but little is known about how slum people perceive their risk and deal with alcohol use. Therefore, the focus of the study was to explore the HIV risk perception, problematic alcohol use and the associated factors within urban slum settings. We conducted a cross-sectional study between March and May 2023 among 739 urban slum residents in Bangladesh. Data analysis involved bivariate and multivariate linear regression analyses. The participants' mean age was 29.7 (SD 7.3) years. The mean of HIV risk perception and problematic alcohol use was 27.4 (SD 3.6) and 1.3 (SD 2.2), respectively. Higher HIV risk perception was associated with longer slum residency (β: 0.2, <i>p</i>-value: < 0.01), secondary education (β: 0.1, <i>p</i>: 0.001) and unemployment (β: 0.1, <i>p</i>: 0.003). Problematic alcohol use was associated with a smoking habit (β:0.1, <i>p</i>: < 0.01), a history of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) (β:0.3, <i>p</i>: < 0.01) and poor mental health (β:0.1, <i>p</i>: 0.001). The present study revealed a moderate presence of HIV risk perception and problematic alcohol use in urban slum residents. These findings underscore the need for a tailored approach to increase HIV perception and decrease alcohol use.