The benefits of care: treated HIV infection and health-related quality of life among older-aged people in Uganda

Abstract

Objectives

The objective of this study is to explore how HIV care affects health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among older people in Uganda.

Methods

We enrolled older-aged (≥49 years) people with HIV receiving HIV care and treatment, along with age- and sex-similar people without HIV. We measured health-related quality of life using the EQ-5D-3L scale.

Results

People with HIV (n = 298) and people without HIV (n = 302) were similar in median age (58.4 vs. 58.5 years), gender, and number of comorbidities. People with HIV had higher self-reported health status (b = 7.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.2–9.7), higher EQ-5D utility index (b = 0.05; 95% CI, 0.02–0.07), and were more likely to report no problems with self-care (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 2.0; 95% CI, 1.2–3.3) or pain/discomfort (AOR = 1.8, 95% CI, 1.3–2.8). Relationships between HIV serostatus and health-related quality of life differed by gender, but not age.

Conclusions

Older people with HIV receiving care and treatment reported higher health-related quality of life than people without HIV in Uganda. Access to primary care through HIV programs and/or social network mobilization may explain this difference, but further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms.

Keywords:

• HIV
• health-related quality of life
• older people
• Uganda
• depression ;  mood disorders
• anxiety and trauma related disorders
• quality of life/wellbeing;  psychosocial and cultural aspects
• epidemiology (mental health)
• health service use

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the research participants in Uganda and the study team from Mbarara and Kabwohe in Uganda, and the Medical Practice Evaluation Center in the United States for making this work possible.

Funding

This work was supported by the US National Institutes of Health (R01HL141053, R01AG059504, K43TW010715, K24HL166024, and R01MH113494). The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the US National Institutes of Health.

Disclosure statement

A.C.T. reports receiving a financial honorarium from Elsevier, Inc. for his work as Co-Editor in Chief of the Elsevier-owned journal SSM-Mental Health. The other authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, L.T.Q., upon reasonable request.