Table 1.
Baseline characteristics and factors associated with retention in preantiretroviral therapy care.
| Baseline characteristics | Retention in care |
Multivariable analysis of factors associated with retention in pre-ART care |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (n = 1696) | (65.3% overall) | Overall | Males | Females | |
| N (%) | N (%) | aRR (95% CI) | aRR (95% CI) | aRR (95% CI) | |
| Age (years) | |||||
| <25 | 471 (27.77) | 294 (62.42) | 0.93 (0.85–1.01) | 0.93 (0.76–1.14) | 0.94 (0.86–1.03) |
| 25–35 | 795 (46.88) | 537 (67.55) | 1 (reference) | 1 (reference) | 1 (reference) |
| 35–45 | 312 (18.4) | 205 (65.71) | 1.00 (0.91–1.09) | 0.97 (0.85–1.11) | 1.03 (0.92–1.16) |
| >45 | 118 (6.96) | 72 (61.02) | 0.95 (0.82–1.10) | 0.96 (0.80–1.15) | 0.92 (0.72–1.18) |
| Disadvantaged community | 447 (26.36) | 272 (60.85) | 0.91* (0.84–0.99) | 1.02 (0.90–1.16) | 0.84* (0.76–0.94) |
| Illiteracy | 963 (56.88) | 607 (63.03) | 0.88* (0.83–0.95) | 0.85* (0.76–0.95) | 0.91* (0.84–0.99) |
| Marital status | |||||
| Divorced/separated | 76 (4.49) | 44 (57.89) | 0.94 (0.77–1.15) | 0.90 (0.65–1.25) | 0.97 (0.76–1.23) |
| Married | 1206 (71.23) | 777 (64.43) | 1 (reference) | 1 (reference) | 1 (reference) |
| Unmarried | 103 (6.08) | 50 (48.54) | 0.83 (0.68–1.02) | 0.83 (0.67–1.03) | 1.07 (0.65–1.77) |
| Widowed | 308 (18.19) | 235 (76.3) | 1.18* (1.09–1.28) | 1.22 (0.99–1.50) | 1.17* (1.08–1.28) |
| Homeless | 127 (7.78) | 48 (37.8) | 0.56* (0.45–0.69) | 0.53* (0.37–0.75) | 0.58* (0.44–0.76) |
| Living near an ART centre | 602 (35.5) | 400 (66.45) | 1.03 (0.96–1.10) | 1.03 (0.92–1.16) | 1.03 (0.95–1.13) |
| Living near a town | 785 (46.29) | 535 (68.15) | 1.09* (1.01–1.16) | 1.06 (0.94–1.18) | 1.11* (1.02–1.20) |
| Poverty | 691 (41.98) | 469 (67.87) | 1.08* (1.01–1.16) | 1.06 (0.94–1.19) | 1.10* (1.01–1.20) |
| Follow-up period (years) | |||||
| 0-1 | 719 (42.39) | 537 (74.69) | 1 (reference) | 1 (reference) | 1 (reference) |
| 1-2 | 472 (27.83) | 290 (61.44) | 0.81* (0.74–0.88) | 0.76* (0.66–0.87) | 0.85* (0.76–0.94) |
| 2-3 | 338 (19.93) | 191 (56.51) | 0.75* (0.68–0.83) | 0.66* (0.56–0.79) | 0.82* (0.73–0.93) |
| >3 | 167 (9.85) | 90 (53.89) | 0.70* (0.61–0.80) | 0.51* (0.37–0.70) | 0.82* (0.71–0.95) |
| First CD4 count | |||||
| <350 | 426 (25.12) | 267 (62.68) | 0.92 (0.84–1.01) | 0.87 (0.75–1.01) | 0.97 (0.87–1.09) |
| 350–500 | 619 (36.5) | 414 (66.88) | 1.00 (0.93–1.08) | 0.98 (0.86–1.11) | 1.03 (0.94–1.13) |
| >500 | 651 (38.38) | 427 (65.59) | 1 (reference) | 1 (reference) | 1 (reference) |
| Symptomatic at HIV diagnosis | 808 (47.64) | 481 (59.53) | 0.90* (0.84–0.97) | 0.93 (0.83–1.04) | 0.90* (0.82–1.00) |
| Female gender | 923 (54.42) | 644 (69.77) | 1.09* (1.00–1.18) | ||
*P value <0.05. ART: antiretroviral therapy; aRR: adjusted risk ratio; CI: confidence interval.