Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40917422›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in public health2025

Predictors of loss to follow-up among people living with HIV on antiretroviral therapy in a rural health facility using paper-based records.

Michael Abugah, Angela Mwinorme Yabelang, John Kobla Akorlie, Haruna Mahama, Benjamin Abuaku

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

The trial behind it

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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.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Michael AbugahDepartment of Epidemiology and Disease Control, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
Angela Mwinorme YabelangSt. Theresa's Hospital, Nandom, Ghana.
John Kobla AkorlieDepartment of Epidemiology and Disease Control, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
Haruna MahamaSt. Theresa's Hospital, Nandom, Ghana.
Benjamin AbuakuEpidemiology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Most studies on loss to follow-up (LTFU) among people living with HIV are done in urban Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) centers that have electronic medical records system. However, there are limited studies in ART centers in rural areas that rely solely on paper-based medical records (PBMR). This study aimed to determine the incidence, trends, and predictors of LTFU among people living with HIV at a rural health facility in Ghana that rely on PBMR. Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis of 232 HIV registrants who received care at St. Theresa's Hospital, Nandom Municipality, Ghana between 2018 and 2022 was conducted. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to determine failure probabilities, and the Cox proportional hazard regression was used to identify predictors of LTFU. Results: The incidence proportion of LTFU was 24.14%, with a rate of 9.57 per 1,000 p-m. There was a significant decline in cases of LTFU from 2018 to 2022, although registrants under 25 years and males exhibited an increase in LTFU risk from 2021 to 2022. Registrants who had a viral load of 1,000 copies or more had an increased risk of LTFU (aHR = 3.52, 95% CI: 1.39-9.00). Conversely, adherence to ART (aHR = 0.28, 95% CI: 0.12-0.68), HIV status disclosure (aHR = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.14-0.84), and being in WHO stage 2 (aHR = 0.10, 95% CI: 0.03-0.31) or stage 3 (aHR = 0.21, 95% CI: 0.08-0.52) acted as protective factors for LTFU. Conclusion: This study identified key predictors of LTFU among people living with HIV in a rural health facility, providing valuable insights to the existing literature. Targeted strategies should prioritize viral suppression, support ART adherence, and encourage status disclosure to improve retention, particularly in rural settings.

Indexed as

Anti-HIV AgentsAnti-Retroviral AgentsHIV InfectionsLost to Follow-UpRural Health ServicesRural PopulationAdultFemaleGhanaHumansIncidenceMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesAnti-HIV AgentsAnti-Retroviral AgentsARTGhanaHIV/AIDSLTFUPLWHIVrural health facility

Identifiers

PMID40917422
PMCPMC12408609

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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.