Abstract
Background
As antiretrovirals increase the life expectancy of persons living with HIV, quality of life issues become more important. Little research has examined the types and levels of activity limitations among HIV-positive populations. The objective of this report is to compare the levels of limitations among HIV-positive persons to the general population.
Methods
The BC Persons With AIDS (BCPWA) Society consists of approximately 3,500 HIV-positive members. A recent survey conducted among BCPWA members included a section assessing activity limitations. Prevalence of limitations in this group was compared to the general population of BC using the National Population Health Survey (NPHS) to calculate standardized prevalence ratios (SPR).
Results
Compared to the general BC population, BCPWA members were more likely to be male, aged over 30 years, not to have graduated from high school, unemployed, living alone and having a household income less than $1 0,000 per year. The SPR for activity limitations among male participants applying the rates of limitation among the general population of BC was 9.4 (8.4–10.6). The SPR for women was 9.9 (7.2–11.1). Using an NPHS rate restricted to individuals who reported a chronic condition, the SPR for males was 6.0 (5.9–6.5) and for females was 7.0 (5.8–8.2).
Interpretation
Limitations on activity are prevalent, even when comparing those with high CD4 counts and restricting the standard to those with chronic conditions. These findings suggest that implementation of programs offering support with everyday tasks would be of value in this population.
Résumé
Contexte
Depuis que les antirétroviraux accroissent l’espérance de vie des personnes vivant avec le VIH, les questions de qualité de vie prennent de l’importance. Or, on a peu étudié le genre et le niveau des restrictions de l’activité chez les personnes séropositives pour le VIH. Nous avons voulu comparer ces restrictions chez les personnes séropositives aux niveaux qui prévalent dans la population générale.
Méthode
La BC Persons With AIDS Society (BCPWA) regroupe quelque 3 500 personnes séropositives pour le VIH. Une enquête menée récemment auprès des membres de cette société comprenait un volet sur les restrictions de l’activité. Nous avons comparé la prévalence des restrictions dans ce groupe à la population générale de la Colombie-Britannique, en utilisant l’Enquête nationale sur la santé de la population (ENSP) pour calculer des ratios de prévalence normalisés (RPN).
Résultats
Par rapport à la population générale de la Colombie-Britannique, les membres de la BCPWA étaient plus susceptibles d’être des hommes, d’avoir plus de 30 ans, de ne pas avoir terminé leurs études secondaires, d’être au chômage, de vivre seuls et d’avoir un revenu du ménage inférieur à 10 000 $ par année. Le RPN pour les restrictions de l’activité chez les participants de sexe masculin, selon les taux de restrictions de la population générale de la Colombie-Britannique, était de 9,4 (8,4–10,6). Ce RPN chez les femmes était de 9,9 (7,2–11,1). Selon le taux de l’ENSP se limitant aux personnes ayant déclaré un état chronique, le RPN chez les hommes était de 6,0 (5,9–6,5), et chez les femmes, de 7,0 (5,8–8,2).
Interprétation
Les restrictions de l’activité sont courantes, même lorsqu’on compare les personnes ayant de fortes concentrations de lymphocytes CD4 et qu’on se limite aux personnes ayant un état chronique, ce qui porte à croire que la mise en œuvre de programmes de soutien aux tâches quotidiennes serait utile dans cette population.
Footnotes
Acknowledgements: This work was supported by the Canadian Working Group on HIV and Rehabilitation (CWGHR); by the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research through a Senior Scholar Award to Dr. Robert Hogg and a Doctoral Scholar Award to Paula Braitstein; by the Canadian Institute for Health Research through a Doctoral Research Fellowship to Stephanie Nixon; and by the Partnerships for Community Health Research through a Training Fellowship to Melanie Rusch
The authors are indebted to all the members of the British Columbia PWA society who participated in this study.
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