Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29568617›Full record

ArticleSouthern African journal of HIV medicine2016

Health-related quality of life of antiretroviral treatment defaulters in Botswana.

Nnamdi O Ndubuka, Hyun J Lim, Dirk M van der Wal, Valerie J Ehlers

Abstract read
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Article in Southern African journal of HIV medicine, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

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0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Nnamdi O NdubukaDepartment of Health Studies, University of South Africa, South Africa.
Hyun J LimDepartment of Community Health and Epidemiology, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Canada.
Dirk M van der WalDepartment of Health Studies, University of South Africa, South Africa.
Valerie J EhlersDepartment of Health Studies, University of South Africa, South Africa.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAntiretroviral therapy (ART) improves patients' health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Defaulting from ART has detrimental consequences, including the development of viral resistance, treatment failure and increased risks of disease progression. Little is known about the quality of life of ART defaulters and reasons for discontinuing their ART.

objectivesThis study sought to measure the HRQoL of ART patients in Botswana who were on ART for up to 5 years but had discontinued treatment for at least 3 months, and to identify factors associated with ART defaulting.

methodWe conducted a cross-sectional study with 104 eligible respondents in four ART clinics in south eastern Botswana. We assessed respondents' HRQoL using the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire for HIV short form. Clinical information was obtained from respondents' medical records. Data were analysed using SAS version 9.2.

resultsReasons for discontinuing ART were inaccessible clinics (22.4%), feeling better (21.4%), running out of pills (11.2%), depression (8.2%), lack of care and/or support (8.2%), failure to understand instructions (7.7%), medications' side effects (6.1%) and alcohol abuse (3.1%). In multivariate analyses, respondents aged 36-45 years had a 0.03 lower independence HRQoL score compared to those aged 35 and younger (β = -0.03; 95% confidence interval: -1.72, -1.66). Despite defaulting from their ART, respondents' calculated HRQoL scores were moderate.

conclusionThis study highlights the need to enhance ART adherence in order to improve the HRQoL of people living with HIV and/or AIDS.

Identifiers

PMID29568617
PMCPMC5843183

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.