Authors: Norah L. Katende-Kyenda, Bulelwa Mabindla.
Background: HIV/AIDS has an impact on the HIV-infected patients; therefore, there is a great need to evaluate the quality of life (QOL) and its association on the demographic factors. HIV/AIDS has an impact on the HIV-infected patients; therefore, there is a great need to evaluate the quality of life (QOL) and its association on the demographic factors.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted assessing QoL among HIV-infected and its association with demographic-factors. The QoL was assessed using a WHOQOL-HIV-BREF. Demographic-information collected using a semi-structured questionnaire were analyzed using SPSS 22. Correlations and ANOVA were performed for significance differences between domain-scores and QoL-variables.
Results: Of 99 participants interviewed, 52% were females and 48% males. The mean-age was 37.53 ± 9.127(range 18-60 years), 35(36.1%) had secondary-level education, 38(40%) singles, 40(40.8%) permanently-employed; 40;40.8% earning ˃R4000 monthly and (64;65.3%) lived in rural-areas, 94(96.9%) had chronic-diseases and 45;48.9% asymptomatic. Associations were between: Physical and gender (p=0.008); Psychological and Marital- status (p=0.040); Psychological and Employment (p=0.090); Social and Employment (p=0.008); Level-of-independence and HIV-serostatus (p=0.028); Personal beliefs and Chronic- disease (p=0.075) and Social and Place of residence (p=0.030).
Conclusion: Gender, marital and employment HIV-serostatus, chronic-diseases and place of residence significantly affect the QoL of PLWHA. Therefore, sustained effort towards improving the QoL remains the mainstay of dealing with PLWHA.
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