# Evaluation of sociodemographic, clinical and behavioral characteristics of people living with the human immunodeficiency virus and its association with quality of life

## TL;DR

This study examines how race, sex, and other factors affect the quality of life of people living with HIV in a Brazilian hospital.

## Contribution

The study identifies sex and sociodemographic factors as key influences on HIV-related quality of life domains.

## Key findings

- Women were associated with most quality of life domains, including life satisfaction and financial concerns.
- Participants who experienced prejudice reported lower quality of life scores.
- Racial disparities were observed in education, income, and employment status among HIV-positive individuals.

## Abstract

To investigate inequalities of race/skin color and sex in relation to quality of life of people living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in a Brazilian university hospital between 2017 and 2018.

This is a cross-sectional study conducted between 2017 and 2018 with 350 people living with HIV, applying the HIV-specific Quality of Life (QoL) scale. The groups were compared using the χ2 test and Student's t-test or Kruskal-Wallis test. To evaluate the factors associated with the nine domains of QoL, Tweedie Regression, an application of the Generalized Linear Model, was performed.

Of the 350 participants, 55.7% self-reported to be white and 44.3%, Black/mixed-race; with a mean age (standard deviation – SD) of 45.2 (±12.6). We verified that 46.3% reported having suffered some type of prejudice, 34.8% due to the disease, 12% due to skin color, and 11.4% due to sexual orientation. The overall mean quality of life was 78.85 (±11.61). The domain with the lowest mean was Confidentiality Concerns (M: 43.45±29.46). Among the factors associated with several domains were sex (woman), level of education, per capita income, having suffered some prejudice, or hospitalizations in the last year.

Differences in level of education, per capita income, and work status by self-reported race/skin color of the participants were evidenced, showing inequalities in the study population. Sex (woman) is the factor associated with most of the QoL domains, among them Life Satisfaction, Confidentiality Concerns, Health Concerns, Financial Concerns, Medication Concerns, Acceptance of HIV, and Sexual Function.

Investigar desigualdades de raça/cor da pele e sexo com relação à qualidade de vida de pessoas que vivem com o vírus da imunodeficiência humana (HIV) em um hospital universitário brasileiro entre 2017 e 2018.

Realizamos estudo transversal entre 2017 e 2018 com 350 pessoas que vivem com o HIV, sendo aplicada a escala de qualidade de vida (QV) específica para HIV. Os grupos foram comparados com os testes de χ2 e teste t de Student ou Kruskal-Wallis. Para avaliar os fatores associados aos nove domínios da QV, realizou-se regressão de Tweedie; uma aplicação do modelo linear generalizado.

Dos 350 participantes, 55,7% foram autorreferidos de cor da pele branca e 44,3% de cor da pele parda/preta; com média de idade (desvio padrão — DP) de 45,2 (±12,6). Constatou-se que 46,3% referiram ter sofrido algum tipo de preconceito, 34,8% pela doença, 12% pela cor da pele e 11,4% pela orientação sexual. A média geral qualidade de vida foi de 78,85 (±11,61). O domínio com menor média foram preocupações com o sigilo (M: 43,45±29,46). Entre os fatores associados a vários domínios encontramos sexo (feminino), escolaridade, renda per capita, ter sofrido algum preconceito ou internações no último ano.

Destacaram-se diferenças na escolaridade, renda per capita e situação de trabalho por raça/cor autorreferida dos participantes, mostrando desigualdades na população de estudo. O sexo (feminino) é o fator que se associa à maioria dos domínios da QV, entre eles satisfação com a vida, preocupação pelo sigilo, saúde, situação financeira e medicamentos, aceitação da infecção por HIV e atividade sexual.