FACTORS INFLUENCING QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV ON ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY
Main Article Content
Keywords
HIV, quality of life, antiretroviral therapy, CD4 count, socio-demographic factors, PLHIV
Abstract
Quality of life (QOL) is an important outcome indicator in the management of people living with HIV (PLHIV), particularly in the era of long-term antiretroviral therapy (ART). Although advances in ART have substantially improved survival rates, social and clinical determinants continue to influence overall well-being. The present study aimed to compare QOL between HIV-positive individuals and healthy controls and to examine the influence of socio-demographic and clinical variables on QOL among PLHIV. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 100 HIV-infected individuals who were already receiving treatment at the ART Centre, Sir Sundar Lal Hospital, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India. Additionally, 40 healthy individuals were included as a control group for comparison. The quality of life of the participants was assessed using the Hindi version of the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. Independent t-test was used to examine differences in the domains of quality of life based on HIV status and selected bio-socio-demographic characteristics.. The findings showed that individuals living with HIV had significantly lower QOL scores across all four domains compared to the control group. Within the HIV-positive group, age was significantly associated with the Environment domain, with participants aged ≥35 years reporting better scores. Male gender, urban residence, and employment were significantly associated with higher QOL across domains. Marital status was significantly related to the Psychological and Social Relationship domains, while higher educational status was associated with better Environment domain scores. Clinically, longer duration of ART (≥3 years) and higher CD4 counts (≥450 cells/mm³) were associated with significantly better Physical and Psychological QOL. Overall, the findings indicate that both social determinants and clinical stability play a crucial role in shaping QOL among PLHIV, underscoring the need for comprehensive, psychosocially integrated HIV care
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Kumari Divya Singh
Assistant Professor (Child Psychology), Department of Pediatrics, IMS, BHU, Varanasi, U.P.,India
Jaismin
PhD Scholar, Department of Psychology, Christ (Deemed to be University), Ghaziabad, U.P., India
