Do loss to follow-up and death rates from ART care vary across primary health care facilities and hospitals in south Ethiopia? A retrospective follow-up study

Figures & data

Table 1 Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics of the study cohort, south Ethiopia

Variable	n	%
Sex
Male	524	44.7
Gap between testing and treatment initiation
Same month	468	39.9
1–6 months	349	29.8
>6 months	356	30.3
Marital status at enrolment (n=1,131)
Not married during enrolment	478	40.8
Married at enrolment	653	55.7
Family size (n=1,052)
Living alone	178	15.2
2–5 members	734	62.6
>5 members	140	11.9
Body mass index (n=561)
<18.5	181	15.4
≥18.5	380	32.4
Facility type
Hospital	778	66.3
Health center	395	33.7
CD4, cells/mm^3 (n=1,082)
≤100	293	25.0
>100	789	67.3
Age (years) at month 0
15–25	228	19.4
26–39	631	53.8
≥40	314	26.8
Isoniazid prophylaxis
Yes	105	9.0
Cotrimoxazole prophylaxis
Yes	1,085	92.5
Side effects
Yes	42	3.6
Functional status (n=1,128)
Working	846	72.1
Ambulatory	232	19.8
Bed ridden	50	4.3
Disclosure (n=806)
Disclosed	763	65.1
Not disclosed	43	3.7
Educational status (n=1,133)
No education	323	27.5
Primary education	493	42.0
Secondary or higher	317	27.0
TB treatment, month 0
Yes	148	12.6
WHO clinical stage (n=1,146)
Early (stage I/II)	629	53.6

Abbreviations: TB, tuberculosis; WHO, World Health Organization.

Figure 1 Overall incidence rates of LTFU and death stratified by facility type.

Abbreviations: LTFU, loss to follow-up; PYO, person-years of observation; TO, transfer out.

Figure 2 Cumulative incidence curves using competing risk analyses for LTFU (A) and death (B) by facility type.

Abbreviation: LTFU, loss to follow-up.

Table 2 Adjusted hazard ratios for LTFU and death using the competing-risk regression model, south Ethiopia

Variable	LTUF, AHR (95% CI)	Death, AHR (95% CI)
Sex
Female versus male	0.91 (0.69–1.20)	0.65 (0.31–1.36)
Gap between testing and treatment initiation
Same month	Reference category	Reference category
1–6 months	0.86 (0.63–1.17)	0.89 (0.41–1.95)
>6 months	0.57 (0.40–0.81)*	1.33 (0.55–3.20)
Marital status at enrolment
No during enrolment	Reference category	Reference category
Married at enrolment	0.81 (0.61–1.12)	0.73 (0.34–1.55)
NR	0.65 (0.29–1.44)	1.91 (0.40–9.09)
Family size
Living alone	Reference category	Reference category
2–5	0.80 (0.55–1.17)	0.70 (0.31–1.59)
>5 members	0.67 (0.39–1.15)	0.87 (0.29–2.63)
NR	0.90 (0.53–1.54)	0.91 (0.29–2.91)
Body mass index
<18.5	Reference category	Reference category
≥18.5	0.58 (0.38–0.91)*	0.71 (0.23–2.17)
NR	1.27 (0.86–1.88)	1.77 (0.67–4.69)
Facility type
HC versus hospital	0.65 (0.47–0.91)*	2.80 (1.40–5.61)*
CD4, cells/mm^3
≤100	Reference category	Reference category
>100	0.92 (0.67–1.26)	0.55 (0.28–1.08)
NR	1.27 (0.73–2.23)	0.94 (0.30–2.95)
Age (years), at month 0
15–25	Reference category	Reference category
26–39	0.59 (0.42–0.83)*	1.50 (0.59–3.83)
≥40	0.73 (0.50–1.07)	1.57 (0.54–4.53)
Isoniazid prophylaxis
No versus yes	1.90 (1.10–3.23)*	0.74 (0.22–2.46)
Cotrimoxazole prophylaxis
No versus yes	1.07 (0.64–1.79)	1.44 (0.36–5.80)
Side effects
No versus yes	0.82 (0.44–1.54)	0.50 (0.19–1.34)
Functional status
Working	Reference category	Reference category
Ambulatory	1.18 (0.83–1.68)	2.71 (1.05–6.95)*
Bed ridden	1.35 (0.69–2.62)	5.35 (1.67–17.1)*
NR	1.71 (0.77–3.76)	1.75 (0.33–9.16)
Disclosure
Disclosed	Reference category	Reference
Not disclosed	1.67 (0.85–3.28)	0.30 (0.03–3.17)
Not documented	0.96 (0.70–1.31)	1.36 (0.65–3.87)
Educational status
No education	Reference category	Reference category
Primary education	0.81 (0.59–1.11)	0.60 (0.28–1.31)
Secondary or higher	0.58 (0.39–0.67)*	0.71 (0.29–1.74)
NR	0.55 (0.22–1.36)	1.06 (0.20–5.65)
TB at baseline
No versus yes	1.22 (0.78–1.91)	0.38 (0.16–0.88)*
WHO stage
Late versus early	1.39 (1.03–1.88)*	0.85 (0.38–1.88)

Notes:

* Statistically significant.

Abbreviations: AHR, adjusted hazard ratio; CI, confidence interval; HC, health center; LTFU, loss to follow-up; NR, not recorded; TB, tuberculosis; WHO, World Health Organization