Quality of life and related factors among people living with HIV/AIDS in Guangdong province

Abstract

To explore the quality of life and related factors among people living with HIV/AIDS in Guangdong province. A total of 443 subjects older than age 18 who had been diagnosed as HIV/AIDS were recruited from AIDS Outpatient Clinic Departments in Guangzhou and Shenzhen. HIV/AIDS-targeted quality of life(HAT-QoL)scale was used to measure the quality of life on the patients. Nonparametric test method and multiple linear regression analysis were performed to explore the related factors. The average scores of the following nine domains of HIV/AIDS-targeted quality of life scales were:overall function as 59.89 ± 23.35, concerns on medication as 62.91 ± 24.01, worries on factors as being disclosed, on health, on financial situation were 19.97 ± 23.04, 54.05 ± 12.24 and 35.94 ± 26.45, respectively, trust on providers as 68.72 ± 26.17, rate of understanding HIV as 61.46 ± 25.72, on life satisfaction as 56.90 ± 25.30 and on sexual function as 50.82 ± 23.86. Factors associated with quality of life would include sex, age, residential area, education, employment, marital status, complications, HAART-related prescriptions, route of infection and duration of HIV/AIDS etc. The quality of life among HIV/AIDS patients had declined, especially on worries related to disclosure and financial situation. More attention should be paid on those with poor education, low income and lack of family support in order to improve their quality of life and reducing mortality.