Self-Reported Chronic Disease Co-morbidities among Patients on Antiretroviral Therapy: A facility based cross-sectional study in Jimma, Southwest Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: People living with HIV who have access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) are living longer and healthier lives. The clinical management of such patients is evolving towards a new spectrum of comorbidities. People living with HIV are increasingly experiencing a range of multiple comorbidities conditions. Measurement of comorbidity has currently received more attention from medical researchers. Therefore, this study has assessed self-reported chronic disease comorbidities among patients on antiretroviral therapy in Jimma, Southwest Ethiopia. Methods: A facility based cross-sectional study design was employed among 351 ART clients visiting Jimma University Teaching Hospital in March 2014 that were identified by systematic random sampling. Data were collected by interviewer-administered questionnaires that mainly assessed socio-demographic data, disease-related care factors, community factors and treatment delivery-related factors. Descriptive analysis was performed. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify associated factors by using SPSS version software. Association between the explanatory and dependent variables was assessed at the p-value of less than 0.05. The results were presented in a narrative form, tables and graphs. Results: Of the total respondents, 137 (39%) had comorbidities with different diseases. From this, the majority of them have tuberculosis 71 (51.82 %), followed by hypertensions 26 (19.0%), asthma 21 (15.3%), diabetes 11 (8.0 %) and heart diseases 8 (5.8%).Being current CD4 count < 250 cells/ml (AOR=2.715 [CI = 1.461, 5.1 poor level of general health conditions (AOR=5.894 [CI= 3.172, 10.951]), discontinuation opportunistic infection prophylaxes (AOR= 2.578 [CI = 1.371,4.845]), having any clinical symptoms for HIV/AIDS (AOR= 6.46 [CI= 3.428, 12.175]) and having substance use disorders (AOR= 4.925 [CI= 2.629, 9.225]) were factors that shown statistically significant associations with having comorbidities. Conclusions: The finding indicated that magnitudes of comorbidities were numerous. Different clinical and behavioral factors mentioned above lead the patients to the development of comorbidities. Therefore, we recommend the concerned organization to give greater emphasis on those identified factors as influential and due attention should be given to those factors curving the problems and burden of comorbidities among the HIV/AIDS patients.