State variation in HIV/AIDS health outcomes: the effect of spending on social services and public health.

OBJECTIVE

Despite considerable advances in the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS, the burden of new infections of HIV and AIDS varies substantially across the country. Previous studies have demonstrated associations between increased healthcare spending and better HIV/AIDS outcomes; however, less is known about the association between spending on social services and public health spending and HIV/AIDS outcomes. We sought to examine the association between state-level spending on social services and public health and HIV/AIDS case rates and AIDS deaths across the United States.

DESIGN

We conducted a retrospective, longitudinal study of the 50 U.S. states over 2000-2009 using a dataset of HIV/AIDS case rates and AIDS deaths per 100 000 people matched with a unique dataset of state-level spending on social services and public health per person in poverty.

METHODS

We estimated multivariable regression models for each HIV/AIDS outcome as a function of the social service and public health spending 1 and 5 years earlier in the state, adjusted for the log of state GDP per capita, regional and time fixed effects, Medicaid spending as % of GDP, and socio-demographic, economic, and health resource factors.

RESULTS

States with higher spending on social services and public health per person in poverty had significantly lower HIV and AIDS case rates and fewer AIDS deaths, both 1 and 5 years post expenditure (P ≤ 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that spending on social services and public health may provide a leverage point for state policymakers to reduce HIV/AIDS case rates and AIDS deaths in their state.