Health Related Quality Of Life And Associated Factors Among Women On Antiretroviral Therapy In Health Facilities Of Ambo Town West Shewa Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Combination antiretroviral therapy has substantially increased life-expectancy in people living with HIV. However, people living with HIV have significantly lower Health Related Quality of Life than do the general population, even among viro logically and immunologically stable patients. Evidences revealed that there is statistically significant gender difference in Health-Related Quality of Life among People Living with HIV on highly active antiretroviral treatment; Women have low score in all HRQOL (Health-Related Quality of Life) domains than men. Despite this, studies done in Ethiopia so far were done on general population and gave less attention to quality of life among women. Objectives: to assess the Health-Related Quality of Life and associated factors among women on Antiretroviral Therapy in Ambo Town, West Shewa Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia, 2020/21. Methods: Institution based cross sectional study was conducted among women on ART in Ambo Town from July-September, 2021. 420 women on ART were included using systematic random sampling technique. Data were collected using face to face interview and chart review using structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics was used to show the background variables with graphs, texts and figures. The study was also employ binary logistic regression to identify the factors associated with health-related quality of life using odds ratios with their respective confidence intervals and p values. P-value of 0.05 was the cut-off point to declare statistical significance. Results: A total of 420 women on ART were included in the study. The proportion of women with good quality of life was found to be 39.3%; 95% CI [34.6%, 44.0%]. Not depressed [AOR = 2.27; 95% CI: 1.10, 4.79], better social support [AOR = 2. 32; 95% CI: 1.34, 4.00] were positively associated with good health-related quality of life. WHO baseline clinical stage two [AOR = 0.52; 95% CI: 0.29, 0.93] were found to be negatively associated with good health related quality of life. Conclusion: this study revealed that a small proportion of women on ART (less than four in ten) 39.3% had good quality of life. Depression, social support and WHO clinical stage were the factors associated with health-related quality of life. Therefore, early detection and treatment of depression and improving social support is very important to curb the problem