Incidence and predictors of non-communicable diseases among people with HIV at a specialised hospital in Hawassa, Ethiopia: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND

The improved life expectancy of people living with HIV (PLWH) has increased the co-occurrence of HIV and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). This study aimed to determine the incidence and predictors of NCDs among PLWH aged >17 years at a specialised hospital in Hawassa.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was conducted from August to December 2023. Eligible PLWH who had been in follow-up from 1 January 2006 to 31 December 2023 were included in the study. Data were collected from medical records using a standardised checklist via the Kobo toolbox. SPSS V.26.0 was used for data analysis. The Kaplan-Meier plot was used to estimate the NCD-free survival time and compare NCD-free survival times. Cox proportional hazards model was fitted to identify the predictors of NCDs. The adjusted HR (AHR), p value<0.05 and 95% CI were used to report the relationships between variables.

RESULTS

A total of 3596 participants were followed for 33 559 person-years. The incidence rate of NCDs among the study participants was 4.4 per 1000 person-years. PLWH aged 40 years or more had an increased risk of developing NCDs (AHR=1.7; 95% CI: 1.1 to 2.6). Those with a family size of <4 (AHR=1.8; 95% CI: 1.2 to 2.7), a body mass index (BMI) >25 (AHR=1.8; 95% CI: 1.2 to 2.7), with college or more education (AHR=2.0; 95% CI: 1.1 to 3.9), employed (AHR=2.1; 95% CI: 1.2 to 3.6) and poor antiretroviral therapy adherence (AHR=3.5; 95% CI: 2.1 to 5.7) also had an increased risk of NCDs.

CONCLUSION

Compared with other reports, the incidence of NCDs among PLWH in this study was low. Factors such as age, family size, occupational status, BMI and ART adherence predicted the incidence of NCDs. Targeted health education and screening could help minimise the burden associated with NCDs among PLWH.