Assessing Quality of Life in HIV-Infected Patients Attending a Public Primary Health Care Setting in South Africa

The study assessed quality of life (QoL) among HIV-infected patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted using adults patients recruited from the clinic. The QoL was assessed using a WHOQOL) -HIV-BREF. Demographic information was collected using a semistructured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS 22. Correlations and ANOVA were performed for determining significance differences between domain scores and QoL variables. Post-hoc analysis was performed using Tukeys to find contributing pairs to the differences. Of 99 participants interviewed, 52 % were females and 48 % males. The mean-age was 37.539.127 (range 18-60 years), 35 (36.1 %) had secondary-level of education, 38 (40 %) singles, 40 (40.8 %) permanently employed with 40; 40.8 % earning more than R4000 monthly and (64; 65.3 %) lived in rural areas, 94 (96.9 %) had chronic-diseases and 45; 48.9 % were asymptomatic. The overall mean-scores for health-related QoL were 4111.9 for psychological, 68.917.0 for physical, 39.726.6 for social, 58.113.2 for environmental, 29.528.7 for personal/spiritual/religious and 54.020.9 for level of independence domains. Significant difference in mean QoL scores were in level of concentration in psychological (p=0.001), physical environmental in environmental (p=0.006), fear of future/death in personal (p=0.000) and physical pain in physical domains (p=0.001). Challenges related to QoL in HIV-infected patients exist in different domains. Healthcare providers in collaboration with other stakeholders should strengthen their efforts by addressing HIV/AIDS consequences to enhance patients QoL.