Quetzal Tracy M, Lo Wei-Cheng, Chiu Ya-Wen, Chiou Hung-Yi
Ph.D. Program in Global Health & Health Security, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Master Program in Applied Epidemiology, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Sci Rep. 2025 Jan 24;15(1):3017. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-85475-4.
The COVID-19 pandemic may have impacted disabilities among people living with HIV; however, data on the association between COVID-19 pandemic-related healthcare disruptions and disabilities among people living with HIV is limited. We aimed to evaluate the association between COVID-19-affected HIV care behaviors and disability domains among people living with HIV in Belize. A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Western Regional Hospital and Southern Regional Hospital between August and October 2021 among people living with HIV in Belize aged ≥ 21 years and on antiretroviral therapy. A self-reported questionnaire captured data on demographic and clinical characteristics (gender, age, ethnicity, marital status, employment, education, CD4 count, and viral load), COVID-19-affected HIV care behaviors, and disability across six domains (physical, cognitive, and mental-emotional symptoms and impairments; uncertainty; difficulties carrying out day-to-day activities; and social inclusion challenges) using the Short-Form HIV Disability Questionnaire. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to analyze the data. Of the 489 participants, 276 (56.4%) were women and 213 (43.6%) were men. After adjusting for covariates, (age, gender, employment, CD4 count, viral load, COVID-19-affected HIV care behaviours), our results showed that people living with HIV, whose HIV care behaviors were greatly affected by COVID-19, were more likely to have disabilities across various domains: physical (adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 1.61, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.08-2.41, p = 0.018), cognitive (AOR: 2.49, 95% CI: 1.58-3.94, p < 0.001), uncertainty (AOR: 2.94, 95% CI: 1.68-5.12, p < 0.001), difficulties carrying out day-to-day activities (AOR: 1.69, 95% CI: 1.06-2.69, p = 0.027), and social inclusion challenges (AOR: 1.89, 95% CI: 1.27-2.81, p = 0.002). Mitigating disruptions in care behaviors through the implementation of more accessible and comprehensive healthcare services may potentially address the multifaceted nature of HIV disabilities.
新冠疫情可能对艾滋病毒感染者的残疾状况产生了影响；然而，关于新冠疫情相关医疗保健中断与艾滋病毒感染者残疾之间关联的数据有限。我们旨在评估伯利兹艾滋病毒感染者中受新冠疫情影响的艾滋病毒护理行为与残疾领域之间的关联。2021年8月至10月期间，在西部地区医院和南部地区医院对伯利兹年龄≥21岁且正在接受抗逆转录病毒治疗的艾滋病毒感染者进行了一项横断面研究。一份自我报告问卷收集了有关人口统计学和临床特征（性别、年龄、种族、婚姻状况、就业、教育程度、CD4细胞计数和病毒载量）、受新冠疫情影响的艾滋病毒护理行为以及使用简短艾滋病毒残疾问卷对六个领域（身体、认知和心理情绪症状及损伤；不确定性；开展日常活动困难；以及社会融入挑战）的残疾情况的数据。采用单因素和多因素逻辑回归分析来分析数据。在489名参与者中，276名（56.4%）为女性，213名（43.6%）为男性。在对协变量（年龄、性别、就业、CD4细胞计数、病毒载量、受新冠疫情影响的艾滋病毒护理行为）进行调整后，我们的结果显示，艾滋病毒护理行为受到新冠疫情严重影响的艾滋病毒感染者在各个领域更有可能出现残疾：身体方面（调整后的优势比（AOR）：1.61，95%置信区间（CI）：1.08 - 2.41，p = 0.018）、认知方面（AOR：2.49，95% CI：1.58 - 3.94，p < 0.001）、不确定性方面（AOR：2.94，95% CI：1.68 - 5.12，p < 0.001）、开展日常活动困难方面（AOR：1.69，95% CI：1.06 - 2.69，p = 0.027）以及社会融入挑战方面（AOR：1.89，95% CI：1.27 - 2.81，p = 0.002）。通过实施更易获得和全面的医疗服务来减轻护理行为的中断可能会潜在地解决艾滋病毒相关残疾的多方面问题。
