Factors Associated with Quality of Life Among People Living with HIV In India

Background: HIV/AIDS remains a primary global public health concern. However, Background: HIV/AIDS remains a primary global public health concern. However, antiretroviral therapy (ART) has transformed HIV from a fatal to a chronic health condition for those with consistent access to medication. Therefore, improving the quality of life (QoL) among people living with HIV in India (PLWH) is an important goal of HIV treatment and care. The primary aim of this study is to examine factors associated with QoL and different QoL domains among PLWH in India. Materials and Methods: Data was obtained from a cross-sectional survey of 200 PLWH at a hospital-based government ART center in rural Bhimavaram, India. Data was collected through face-to-face interviews from July 2019 to December 2019. This study used sociodemographic characteristics, including age, gender, education, marital status, and other factors, including alcohol use, smoking, CD4 counts, current ART medication adherence, and quality of life (QoL). Multivariable logistic regression was conducted to examine the factors associated with the overall QoL and four QoL domains. The Institutional Ethics Committee at Shri Vishnu College of Pharmacy, Bhimavaram, approved the study protocol (IRB #SVCP/IEC/2021/4). Results: The mean age of 120 participants was 30.5 (SD=5.5). Over 81% of the participants were married. The social domain had the highest mean score of 15.1 (SD = 1.86), followed by the environment and the psychological domain. The physical health domain had the lowest mean score of 11.57 (SD = 2.74). The multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that lower overall QoL is significantly associated with unmarried people. In addition, low levels of CD4 count were significantly associated with the lower psychological domain (p