[Health related quality of life in adults with HIV/AIDS in Colombia].

INTRODUCTION

HIV/AIDS is now considered a chronic treatable disease because of the effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy. However, for this disease, issues require evaluation that goes beyond of disease occurrence. Health-related quality of life changes that may occur that continue throughout the life of the patient and may include functional status, perceptions of others, social opportunities, treatment requirements and disability.

OBJECTIVE

The health-related quality of life is to be characterized along with its association with demographic, socioeconomic and clinical conditions in adults with HIV/AIDS.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 187 people with HIV/AIDS in Medellín, 2009. The Medical Outcome Study Short Form (MOSSF36) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) were applied. The analysis was done with proportions, summary measures, confidence intervals, t Student, U Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, ANOVA and multiple linear regressions.

RESULTS

In this sample, 83.0% used antiretrovirals, 74.7% had adherence exceeding 95% and 74.7% had CD4 count above 200/mm(3). The scores of health-related quality of life were between 60.5 and 90.2. Presence of disease, satisfaction with family support and satisfaction with the economic situation were the conditions found most relevant to the quality of life.

CONCLUSION

In adults with HIV/AIDS, the health-related quality of life was better explained by factors related to economic and social support than those associated with the biological domain.