Quality of life and its determinants among filipino patients living with HIV/AIDS enrolled in treatment hub of a tertiary government hospital

Abstract

Background: Quality of life (QoL) is an important component in the evaluation of the wellbeing of People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). With the very limited data on determinants of QoL in the Philippines, we deemed it necessary to assess the QoL and the factors affecting it among these patients as it provides an avenue for health care reforms on HIV/AIDS program and quality health service delivery. Methods and materials: This is a cross-sectional analytical study. Adult filipino PLWHA who were linked to a treatment hub of a tertiary government hospital in the Philippines were surveyed. It utilized the locally-validated WHOQOL-HIV BREF assessment tool. Other variables of interest were obtained from medical records. Results: Of the 341 HIV seropositive patients included in the study, the median age was 32 years, mostly male (93.55%). Majority had good general QoL (58.6%). Regression analysis showed that except for age, ARV regimen and HIV Viral Load, all other factors examined were associated with at least one QoL domain. Among the factors associated with good general QoL were: CD4 ≥ 200 cells/μL (0.218; 95% CI: 0.01–0.43; p = 0.043) and ARV duration > 3 months (0.333; 95% CI: 0.05–0.62; p = 0.022). Conversely, low education (-0.379; 95% CI: -0.59 to -0.17; p = <0.001), poor treatment adherence (-0.752; 95% CI: -1.05 to -0.45; p = <0.001), and presence of opportunistic infections (-0.187; 95% CI: -0.37 to 0; p = 0.049) were associated with poor general QoL. Female sex (-1.328; 95% CI: -2.49 to -0.17; p = 0.025) and unemployment (-0.99; 95% CI: -1.69 to -0.29; p = 0.006) were associated with poor QoL on environment and independence domains, respectively. Conclusion: HIV seropositive patients with CD4 ≥ 200 and on ARV treatment for >3 months are more likely to have good QoL, while having low education, poor treatment adherence and presence of opportunistic infection likely predict poor QoL. Female sex and unemployment were associated with poor QoL in at least one QoL domain.