Prevalence of activity limitation among persons living with HIV/AIDS in British Columbia.

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 $10,000 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.