Principal Component Analysis of Factors Affecting CD 4 Count Level of HIV/AIDS Patients at Mainland Hospital Yaba, Lagos Nigeria

Abstract

This work highlights the importance of CD4 counts in the study and management of HIV/AIDS. Data for the study were obtained through the use of 29 items structured questionnaire administered on 200 volunteered HIV/AIDS patients at Lagos Mainland Hospital Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria. The variables identified for the study were categorised into demographic characteristics (educational level, marital status, age and gender) and some selected HIV/AIDS administrative variable (HIV/AIDS confirmation period, type of antiretroviral drug being used, duration of use of antiretroviral administration, and nature of patient job).Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO) test of sampling adequacy was conducted which gave a coefficient of 0.650 and Bartlett’s test or sphericity of Chi-square p-value 0.00 indicating that the variables are correlated enough to provide reasonable basis for factor analysis. Correlation test was conducted to ensure non existence of multicolinearity among the components by correlation matrix and the components found to have high correlation coefficient had one removed. A principal component analysis was performed to determine the principal components among the identified components. Findings from total variance explained and the screen plot identified four components (type of antiretroviral drug being taken, duration of HIV/AIDS confirmation, duration of antiretroviral drug application, patient age,) as the principal components to the determination of CD4 count in HIV/AIDS patients at the hospital. The study recommended that HIV/AIDs patients should be encouraged to commence early application of antiretroviral drug once traces of HIV/AIDS is detected, and that research should be intensified on the efficiency level of the different antiretroviral drug in the different patient.