Quality Of Life And Stigma Among People Living With HIV/AIDS In Iran

Figures & data

Table 1 Sociodemographic Characteristics And Mean Scores Of Six Domains Of QOL Among PLWHA

Variables	N (%)	QOL Domains						Total QOL Mean ±SD
		Physical Mean ±SD	Psychological Mean ±SD	Level Of Independence Mean ±SD	Social Relationship Mean ±SD	Environment Mean ±SD	SRBP Mean ±SD
Gender
Male	153 (76.5)	13.07±3.83	12.95±3.93	12.84±3.67	13.13±3.50	13.10±3.07	13.61±3.81	13.12±3.15
Female	47(23.5)	13.93±4.00	13.22±4.13	12.93±3.99	13.19±3.87	12.95±3.35	12.29±4.65	13.09±3.63
p-value		0.186	0.680	0.882	0.919	0.775	0.051	0.956
Age
≤30	63 (31.5)	14.30±3.87	14.05	13.88±3.69	13.85±3.58	13.96±2.96	12.73±4.20	13.80±3.28
> 30	137 (68.5)	12.81±3.81	12.53	12.39±3.67	12.81±3.54	12.66±3.13	13.56±3.97	12.79±3.21
p-value		0.011	0.012	0.008	0.056	0.006	0.175	0.043
Education
≤Middle school	79 (39.5)	12.84±3.48	12.04±3.59	12.07±3.29	12.27±3.49	12.14±2.92	13.06±3.64	12.40±2.92
>Middle school	121(60.5)	13.56±4.11	13.65±4.09	13.38±3.93	13.71±3.53	13.67±3.13	13.46±4.31	13.57±3.40
p-value		0.205	0.005	0.015	0.005	0.001	0.497	0.013
Marital status
Never married	107(53.5)	13.68±4.07	13.26±4.19	13.23±3.89	13.26±3.65	13.60±3.10	13.27±3.96	13.27±3.96
Married	67(33.5)	13.34±3.60	13.18±3.49	12.89±3.48	13.38±3.58	12.80±3.02	13.56±4.09	13.56±4.09
Divorced	20(10.0)	11.05±3.41	11.28±4.23	11.05±3.72	11.95±3.36	11.42±3.28	12.15±4.64	12.15±4.64
Widowed	6(3.0)	12.83±2.92	12.53±3.49	12.00±2.19	12.33±2.65	12.00±2.44	14.83±2.99	14.83±2.99
p-value		0.048	0.218	0.108	0.401	0.019	0.432	0.119
Employment status
Employed	103(50.2)	13.64±3.69	13.66±3.44	13.33±3.38	13.76±3.25	13.54±2.96	13.74±3.84	13.61±2.96
Unemployed	97(49.8)	12.89±4.05	12.32±4.37	12.37±4.03	12.48±3.80	12.57±3.24	12.83±4.23	12.58±3.49
p-value		0.177	0.017	0.070	0.011	0.028	0.112	0.025
Participant income
≤ 8M Rial^a	167(83.5)	13.03±3.88	12.57±3.96	12.57±3.81	12.76±3.52	12.70±3.04	13.03±4.02	12.78±3.23
>8M Rial	33(16.5)	14.51±3.70	15.27±3.20	14.33±2.98	15.06±3.27	14.93±2.94	14.66±4.01	14.79±2.91
p-value		0.045	0.001	0.013	0.001	0.001	0.034	0.001
Family income^b
≤ 8M Rial	127 (69.8)	12.82±3.91	12.44±4.01	12.30±3.87	12.62±3.52	12.35±3.06	13.36±4.08	12.65±3.31
>8M Rial	55 (30.2)	13.87±3.79	14.00±3.83	13.67±3.33	14.23±3.57	14.63±2.79	12.69±4.05	13.85±3.07
p-value		0.095	0.016	0.024	0.005	0.001	0.309	0.023
Health insurance coverage
Yes	131(65.8)	13.96±3.85	13.95±3.90	13.64±3.64	14.00±3.23	14.10±2.72	13.54±4.18	13.86±3.17
No	69(34.2)	11.97±3.62	11.23±3.48	11.39±3.49	11.50±3.65	11.11±2.94	12.85±3.78	11.67±2.96
p-value	0.001	0.001	0.001	0.001	0.001	0.001	0.242	0.001
Incarceration history
Yes	92(46.0)	12.20±3.63	11.67±3.65	11.67±3.44	11.94±3.49	11.83±2.77	13.40±3.80	12.12±2.96
No	108(54.0)	14.19±3.86	14.15±3.89	13.87±3.69	14.16±3.34	14.12±3.04	13.22±4.26	13.95±3.28
p-value		0.001	0.001	0.001	0.001	0.001	0.753	0.001
Substance use history
Yes	101(49.7)	12.05±3.54	11.69±3.52	11.73±3.35	12.11±3.35	11.97±2.75	13.11±3.79	12.11±2.82
No	99(50.3)	14.52±3.83	14.36±3.95	14.02±3.77	14.19±3.51	14.19±3.12	13.49±4.31	14.13±3.38
p-value		0.001	0.001	0.001	0.001	0.001	0.513	0.001
Age of onset of drug use^€
≤18 y/old	61(60.4)	12.27±3.66	11.98±3.42	11.93±3.48	12.19±3.44	11.77±2.81	13.47±3.88	12.27±2.89
>18y/old	40(39.6)	11.72±3.38	11.24±3.67	11.42±3.16	12.00±3.25	12.27±2.66	12.57±3.63	11.87±2.72
p-value		0.446	0.301	0.458	0.775	0.378	0.246	0.497

Notes: ^a8 million Rial [Iranian currency]; ^bmissing (n=18). ^€Any type of illegal drugs

Abbreviations: SRBP, Spirituality/Religion/Personal Beliefs; QOL, quality of life.

Table 2 Clinical Characteristics And Mean Scores Of Six Domains Of QOL Among PLWHA

Variables		N (%)	QOL Domains						Total QOL Mean ±SD
			Physical Mean ±SD	Psychological Mean ±SD	Level Of Independence Mean ±SD	Social Relationship Mean ±SD	Environment Mean ±SD	SRBP Mean ±SD
Diagnosis Date
On or before 2005		92 (46.0)	12.50±3.82	12.13±4.07	11.97±3.78	12.51±3.73	12.34±3.20	12.97±4.01	12.40±3.30
After 2005 to 2012		108 (54.0)	13.94±3.82	13.76±3.74	13.62±3.54	13.68±3.37	13.68±2.95	13.58±4.08	13.71±3.12
p-value			0.008	0.004	0.002	0.020	0.022	0.294	0.005
Knowledge of HIV/AIDS before diagnosis
Yes		131 (65.5)	13.71	13.52	13.39	13.63	13.58	13.67	13.58
No		69 (34.5)	12.44	12.05	11.85	12.21	12.10	12.59	12.21
p-value			0.028	0.013	0.005	0.008	0.001	0.072	0.004
On ART
Yes		134 (67.0)	13.41±3.99	13.10±4.10	12.79±3.82	13.38±3.52	13.23±3.10	13.29±4.21	13.20±3.34
No		66 (33.0)	13.01±3.66	12.83±3.71	13.00±3.58	12.66±3.68	12.73±3.20	13.33±3.74	12.93±3.12
p-value			0.500	0.655	0.721	0.186	0.287	0.945	0.580
CD4 Cell Count/mm3
≤200		63 (31.5)	12.42±3.83	12.06±3.94	12.06±3.61	12.44±3.58	12.39±3.04	13.07±3.94	12.41±3.15
201–500		101 (50.5)	13.53±4.02	13.47±4.15	13.27±3.86	13.35±3.78	13.24±3.37	13.36±4.23	13.37±3.48
>500		36 (18.0)	14.05±3.38	13.40±3.25	13.11±3.45	13.77±2.77	13.76±2.37	13.52±3.82	13.60±2.65
AIDS stage			0.086	0.070	0.117	0.143	0.082	0.851	0.112
Yes		63 (31.5)	12.42±3.83	12.06±3.94	12.06±3.61	12.44±3.58	12.39±3.04	13.07±3.94	12.41±3.15
No		137(68.5)	13.67±3.85	13.45±3.92	13.23±3.74	13.46±3.54	13.38±3.13	13.40±4.11	13.43±3.27
			0.035	0.021	0.039	0.061	0.039	0.595	0.039
Comorbidity
TB	Yes	26 (13.0)	11.76±3.01	12.40±3.59	12.11±3.17	12.30±3.44	12.84±2.92	13.00±4.26	12.40±3.06
	No	174 (87.0)	13.50±3.95	13.10±4.02	12.97±3.81	13.27±3.59	13.10±3.17	13.35±4.03	13.21±3.29
	p-value		0.033	0.398	0.274	0.202	0.694	0.682	0.237
HCV	Yes	87 (43.5)	12.39±3.78	12.12±3.83	11.95±3.73	12.41±3.73	12.36±2.89	13.36±3.69	12.43±3.14
	No	113 (56.5)	13.96±3.83	13.69±3.95	13.56±3.60	13.70±3.36	13.61±3.21	13.25±4.32	13.63±3.27
	p-value		0.004	0.005	0.002	0.011	0.005	0.848	0.010
Mode of infection
IVDUS		82 (41.0)	12.35±3.53	11.72±3.59	11.63±3.51	11.95±3.50	11.95±2.76	13.39±3.81	12.16±2.94
Sexual		84 (42.0)	13.79±3.85	13.84±3.87	13.61±3.54	13.82±3.45	13.86±2.92	13.09±4.16	13.67±3.20
Others		34 (17.0)	14.23±4.37	14.07±4.31	13.97±3.98	14.35±3.31	13.80±3.71	13.61±4.40	14.00±3.64
p-value			0.016	0.001	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001	0.795	0.002

Abbreviations: TB, tuberculosis; HCV, hepatitis C virus; IVDUS, intravenous drug users; QOL, quality of life; SD, standard deviation; SRBP, Spirituality/Religion/Personal Beliefs.

Table 3 Correlations Among QOL Domains, Stigma Domains, Individual Perception Of QOL And Health

QOL And Stigma Domains		Physical	Psychological	Psychological	Social Relationship	Environment	Spirituality	Distancing And Blaming	Discrimination	Fear	Individual Perception of QOL	Individual Perception Of Health
QOL domains	Physical	1
	Psychological	0.83*	1
	Level of independence	0.86*	0.84*	1
	Social relationship	0.71*	0.82*	0.76*	1
	Environment	0.70*	0.79*	0.70*	0.76*	1
	SRBP	0.61*	0.65*	0.57*	0.57*	0.49*	1
Stigma domains	Distancing and blaming	−0.54*	−0.55*	−0.43*	−0.49*	−0.38*	−0.56*	1
	Discrimination	−0.55*	−0.55*	−0.53*	−0.53*	−0.46*	−0.56*	0.67*	1
	Fear	−0.48*	−0.42*	−0.42*	−0.43*	−0.42*	−0.38*	0.64*	0.60*	1
Individual perception of QOL		0.73*	0.76*	0.70*	0.76*	0.71*	0.60*	−0.52*	−0.52*	−0.43*	1
Individual perception of Health		0.67*	0.70*	0.67*	0.66*	0.55*	0.64*	−0.56*	−0.54*	−0.37*	0.68*	1

Note: Asterisk sign (*) indicates p<0.001. Abbreviation: SRBP, Spirituality/Religion/Personal Beliefs.

Table 4 Stepwise Multiple Linear Regression Of QOL Domains In PLWHA

QOL Domain	Variables	Unstandardized Coefficients B SE		Standardized Coefficients	t	p-value	95% Confidence Interval Lower Upper
Physical	Discrimination	−1.416	0.407	−0.367	−3.481	0.001	−2.225	−0.607
	Participant income (<8MR)	−1.887	0.782	−0.209	−2.414	0.018	−3.441	−0.333
	Fear	−0.947	0.402	−0.250	−2.356	0.021	−1.747	−0.148
Psychological	Discrimination	−1.760	0.305	−0.448	−5.764	<0.001	−2.367	−1.153
	Unemployed	−2.292	0.598	−0.324	−3.836	<0.001	−3.481	−1.104
	Participant income (<8 MR)	−2.357	0.777	−0.256	−3.031	0.003	−3.903	−0.811
	Education. (>middle school)	1.426	0.551	0.201	2.588	0.011	0.330	2.522
Level of independence	Discrimination	−1.493	0.329	−0.407	−4.543	<0.001	−2.146	−0.839
	Unemployed	−2.254	0.595	−0.341	−3.786	<0.001	−3.437	−1.070
	Age	−1.818	0.843	−0.194	−2.157	0.034	−3.494	−0.142
Social relationship	Discrimination	−1.837	0.302	−0.490	−6.076	<0.001	−2.438	−1.236
	Unemployed	−1.975	0.590	−0.292	−3.348	0.001	−3.147	−0.802
	Participant income (<8 MR)	−1.925	0.771	−0.219	−2.496	0.014	−3.458	−0.392
Environment	No insurance	−2.037	0.437	−0.364	−4.665	<0.001	−2.906	−1.169
	Participant income (<8 MR)	−1.359	0.655	−0.187	−2.074	0.041	−2.663	−0.056
	Blaming and distancing	−1.377	0.260	−0.405	−5.289	<0.001	−1.895	−0.859
	Family income	−1.293	0.590	−0.200	−2.191	0.031	−2.466	−0.119
SRPB	Blaming and distancing	−2.694	0.387	−0.572	−6.956	<0.001	−3.464	−1.924
	Males	5.216	1.531	0.280	3.407	0.001	2.173	8.260
Total QOL	Unemployed	−0.982	0.317	−0.314	−3.098	0.003	−1.613	−0.352
	Blaming and distancing	−1.047	0.453	−0.186	−2.312	0.023	−1.947	−0.146
	Participant income (<8 MR)	−1.035	0.342	−0.301	−3.024	0.003	−1.716	−0.354
	No insurance	−1.606	0.571	−0.219	−2.814	0.006	−2.742	−0.471