title: Factors associated with the quality of life of people living with HIV in Finland.
abstract: In recent years, the concept of quality of life (QoL) has received significant attention in the HIV/AIDS literature. In Finland, however, the factors associated with the QoL of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) still remain unknown. The aim of this study was to identify the sociodemographic and HIV-related factors associated with the different domains of QoL of PLWHA in Finland. The sample of this cross-sectional study consisted of 453 HIV-infected patients (Mean age = 46.5 years; 76.5% male) followed at the Infectious Disease Clinic of Helsinki University Hospital. Participants completed a self-reported questionnaire covering sociodemographic and HIV-related information, and the Finnish version of the WHOQOL-HIV-Bref questionnaire. Participants reported rather high scores in the six QoL domains, which ranged between 68.48 (Social relationships) and 78.05 (Environment) on a 0-100 scale. Multiple regression analyses revealed that male gender, being married or living in a partnered relationship, being employed, having fewer financial concerns, and not having depression and other medical comorbidities were the main factors positively and consistently associated with higher scores in the different domains of the QoL. HIV-related variables were not significantly associated with QoL ratings. Sociodemographic factors were independently associated with the QoL of PLWHA in Finland. Psychosocial support should reflect these factors in order to improve the health status and well-being of PLWHA.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine , University of Helsinki , Helsinki , Finland.
authors.forename: Nuno
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nobre
authors.affiliation: b Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences , University of Coimbra , Coimbra , Portugal.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-6086-2329
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: c Research Centre for Comparative Effectiveness and Patient Safety , University of Eastern Finland , Kuopio , Finland.|d Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki , Helsinki , Finland.
authors.forename: Risto P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Roine
authors.affiliation: a Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine , University of Helsinki , Helsinki , Finland.
authors.forename: Harri
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sintonen
authors.affiliation: e Division of Infectious Diseases, Inflammation Center , Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki , Helsinki , Finland.
authors.forename: Jussi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sutinen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents
keywords: HIV/AIDS; WHOQOL-HIV-Bref; quality of life