Assessment of Quality of Life among Persons Living with Hiv Attending Selected Health Facilities in Greater Accra Region

Abstract

Background: HIV continues to be a major global public health issue. Tremendous progress made against the response to AIDS over the past 15 years. Quality of life (QOL) has been recommended as a new frontier to the 90-90-90 to ending AIDS by 2030. Objectives: To determine QOL in line with the physical, physiological, social and environmental factors and socio-demographic characteristics of persons living with HIV (PLHIV) and to establish association between the duration on treatment ART and QOL using WHOQOL-BREF. Methods: A facility-based cross sectional study using systematic sampling was employed in the recruitment of study participants. Result: 326 respondents participated, with mean age of 39.7±10.1 and 269 (82.5%) were females. The overall quality of life was found to be good (74.9%) with similar results observed in physical and environmental domain with the least proportion related to the social domain (62.3%). Except for being 45years and older, PLHIV who were married, had secondary education (JHS and SHS) or tertiary education were linked to better social wellbeing [AOR=0.24 95%CI (0.06-0.93); AOR=2.93, 95% CI (1.58-5.44); AOR=2.68, 95% CI (1.30-5.52; AOR=8.65, 95%CI (2.0-37.43)]. Compared to those employed, unemployed PLHIV observed reduced chances of achieving good physical, psychological and environmental wellbeing [AOR= 0.47 95%CI (0.25-0.89) AOR= 0.33 95%CI (0.17-0.62), AOR=0.53 95% CI(0.27-1.01)]. PLHIV on ART for 5-9 and 10years and over observed reduced physical wellbeing [AOR= 0.49 95%CI (0.27-0.91), AOR=0.44, 95% CI (0.21-0.93)] and 5-9 had a higher social wellbeing [AOR=2.56, 95%CI (1.37-4.78)] Duration on ART was not significantly associated with overall QOL. Conclusion: The overall QOL was good. Improvement in the education levels, providing employment opportunities targeted interventions for PLHIV on treatment for more than 5 years and over and will address gaps and improve the QOL in the respective domains.