Does duration on antiretroviral therapy determine health-related quality of life in people living with HIV? A cross-sectional study in a regional referral hospital in Kenya.
OBJECTIVE
To measure the extent to which health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in people living with HIV is associated with duration of antiretroviral therapy (ART) after controlling for sociodemographic, clinical, and other therapy-related factors.


METHODS
Cross-sectional analysis.


METHODS
A gender-stratified random sample of 421 participants aged 18-64 years was selected from the patients on ART at a health facility in Kenya. Three hundred and ninety two patients participated in the study, representing a 93% response rate. Data on general physical and mental health functioning status were collected using the SF-36 health survey questionnaire. Hierarchical logistic regression analysis was used to predict the SF-36 summary scores.


RESULTS
In regression analyses, the duration of ART was negatively associated with HRQoL (odds ratio (OR): 0.6, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.45-0.92) after controlling for sociodemographic, clinical, and other therapy-related factors. Patients with chronic diseases or clinical symptoms of acute illness had significantly worse HRQoL (OR: 0.5, 95% CI: 0.30-0.79 and OR: 0.3, 95% CI: 0.16-0.59, respectively). Therapy interruptions, adverse drug reactions, and World Health Organization stage at initiation of therapy were not associated with HRQoL.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients on ART for a relatively longer duration reported poorer HRQoL at the study facility independent of the effect of other therapy-related, clinical, and sociodemographic factors. Program managers and clinicians in the Kenyan health system may need to refocus attention on this subgroup to avert 'loss to treatment' that may have negative repercussions on the substantial gains made against the HIV scourge.
Nyeri Provincial General Hospital, Nyeri, Kenya; munenedu@gmail.com.
Edwin
E
Mûnene
Social Medicine and Global Health, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden.
Björn
B
Ekman
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007630:Kenya / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents
AIDS; ART; HIV; Kenya; SF-36; health-related quality of life