Table 1. Characteristics of PLHIV at the baseline visit.
Values are frequencies (percentages), except where stated otherwise.
| Characteristic | ART group (n = 640) | Basic care group (n = 634) | P value* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sex | |||
| Male | 220 (34) | 152 (24) | |
| Female | 420 (66) | 482 (76) | <0.001 |
| Mean (SD) age in years | 33.3 (7.9) | 34.0 (8.7) | 0.09 |
| Education level | |||
| Primary or below | 233 (50) | 327 (51) | |
| Secondary | 225 (40) | 251 (40) | |
| Apprenticeship | 44 (7) | 46 (7) | |
| Tertiary | 18 (3) | 10 (2) | 0.50 |
| Marital status | |||
| Currently married | 378 (59) | 393 (62) | |
| Divorced/separated | 161 (25) | 140 (22) | |
| Single | 54 (8) | 34 (6) | |
| Widowed | 51 (8) | 63 (10) | 0.06 |
| Employment status | |||
| Employed | 523 (82) | 508 (80) | |
| Unemployed | 117 (18) | 126 (20) | 0.47 |
| Income per month in USD | |||
| <20 | 195 (30) | 201 (32) | |
| 20–60 | 173 (27) | 191 (30) | |
| >60 | 272 (43) | 242 (38) | 0.26 |
| Religion | |||
| Catholic | 249 (39) | 266 (42) | |
| Protestant | 196 (30) | 170 (27) | |
| Moslem | 107 (17) | 99 (15) | |
| Pentecostal | 76 (12) | 89 (14) | |
| Others | 12 (2) | 10 (2) | 0.42 |
| Alcohol consumption | |||
| Yes | 152 (24) | 200 (32) | |
| No | 488 (76) | 434 (68) | 0.002 |
| WHO stage | |||
| Stage 1&2 | 513 (80) | 546 (86) | |
| Stage 3&4 | 127 (20) | 88 (14) | 0.004 |
| Opportunistic Infection | |||
| Yes | 205 (32) | 140 (22) | |
| No | 435 (68) | 494 (78) | <0.001 |
| Depression | |||
| No depression (<16) | 413 (65) | 436 (69) | |
| Probable depression (>16) | 227 (35) | 198 (31) | 0.11 |
| Median (IQR) CD4 count (cells/μl) | 259.5 (151.5,317.5) | 641.5 (544.0,801.0) | <0.001 |
Baseline characteristics of study population by ART status
*The p values for the frequencies were analysed using the chi square test, the student’s t-test was used for the mean age, and Wilcoxon rank test was used to measure the CD4 count median association.