Abstract
Introduction. Anemia was defined as a hemoglobin level of less than or equal to 13.9 g/dl for male and less than or equal to 12.2 g/dl for female adults. It is one of the most common hematological abnormalities in people living with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) and is a determining factor for disease progression and death. Among the countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Ethiopia is one of the most affected nations by HIV. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of anemia and its associated factors among HIV-positive adults that had received antiretroviral treatment (ART) at Debre Berhan Referral Hospital. Methods An institution-based, descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted involving 263 adults with HIV/AIDS that had undergone ART at Debre Berhan Referral Hospital, Ethiopia. Data were collected from patient charts using systematic sampling with a pretested data extraction tool and entered using EpiData 3.1. Variables having a p value ≤0.25 in the bivariate were fitted to a multivariable regression model with a 95% confidence interval. p value ≤0.25 in the bivariate were fitted to a multivariable regression model with a 95% confidence interval. Results Among the 263 HIV-positive patients, 237 (90.11%) were included in the final analysis. The overall prevalence of anemia was 26.2%. Factors that were significantly associated with anemia were past opportunistic infections, patients being in WHO clinical stage III and IV, and a BMI <18.5. Conversely, those patients who took anti-TB medication were less likely to have anemia. Conclusion Our study shows that the severity of anemia among HIV/AIDS patients that had undergone ART is lower than most studies conducted in Ethiopia. We also found that opportunistic infection, WHO clinical staging, anti-TB treatment, and low BMI were significantly associated with anemia. Therefore, routine screening of patient nutritional status and opportunistic infections may be useful in predicting and controlling anemia in HIV/AIDS patients.
Highlights
Anemia was defined as a hemoglobin level of less than or equal to 13.9 g/dl for male and less than or equal to 12.2 g/dl for female adults
In Ethiopia, despite the availability of HAART for more than 13 years, there is still substandard data on the prevalence of anemia and its associated factors in HIV-positive adults. erefore, this study aims to assess the prevalence of anemia and its associated factors among HIV-positive patients that have received antiretroviral treatment (ART) at Debre Berhan Referral Hospital (DBRH), Ethiopia, from 2013 to 2018
Anemia is a major concern for those individuals who are suffering from HIV/Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) as it is a significant determinant of disease progression. is study showed that 26.2% of HIV-positive adults that were treated at DBRH from 2013 to 2018 had anemia. is is consistent with the results from studies in Rwanda (29%) [20], Nigeria (24.3%) [6], and South Africa (25.8%) [21]
Summary
Anemia was defined as a hemoglobin level of less than or equal to 13.9 g/dl for male and less than or equal to 12.2 g/dl for female adults. Factors that were significantly associated with anemia were past opportunistic infections, patients being in WHO clinical stage III and IV, and a BMI
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