Behavioural Factors influencing Overall Health-Related Quality of Life of HIV Positive and HIV Negative Adults in Plateau State.

Abstract

Background: HIV/AIDS has caused millions of deaths worldwide and is now listed as a chronic disease. HRQOL assessment is invaluable in understanding patient views of disease and interventions to improve their care. We determine the behavioural factors associated with the overall QOL of HIV positives benchmark with HIV negative adults.

Method: A comparative cross-sectional study carried out in Plateau state between January - March 2018. A multistage sampling technique was used to recruit 178 each of HIV positive and HIV negative respondents. We adapted the WHOQOL HIV-bref tool to determine the QOL of HIV positive and HIV negative respondents. We determine the behavioural risk factors associated with HRQOL using the Chi-square test and logistic regression at a 5% level of significance. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 23.0.

Results: The overall HRQOL and general health perception mean scores were similar among HIV positive and HIV negative respondents (P>0.05). Alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking were not significantly related to overall HRQOL in the two groups (P > 0.05). The number of sexual partners was significantly associated with poor overall QOL among HIV positive respondents (p<00.1). Cigarette smoking was significantly associated with multiple sexual partners among HIV positive respondents (cOR: 24.17; 95%CI: 2.82 – 207.56).

Conclusions: Overall HRQOL of HIV positive and HIV negative adults were comparable. There was increased sexual risk among HIV positive adults that take alcohol. Safe sex counselling should be strengthened as a measure to achieve HIV control.