Demographic factors associated to survival of HIV/AIDS patients in southernmost province of Thailand

Abstract

Introduction : HIV/AIDS is a serious public health problem that has globally caused severe illnesses and deaths within the past two decades. However, a little is known about the impact on demographic factors which is changed over time.

Objective : To investigate the demographic factors associated to survival of HIV/AIDS patients.

Setting : Provincial and community hospitals.

Research design : A prospective, hospital-based cohort study.

Patients : HIV/AIDS patients registered in both provincial and community hospitals between January 1992 and April 2010.

Methods : In total, 1,575 patients with HIV/AIDS infection were observed and followed-up in one regional and other six community hospitals, Yala province, Thailand. The outcome was timed from diagnosis of HIV/ AIDS infection to death. Cox’s proportional hazard model was used to analyze and investigate the association between demographic factors and death among HIV/AIDS patients.

Results : The median survival time among the HIV/AIDS patients from diagnosis to death was 46.6 months (95%CI: 46.2 to 46.9 months). Statistically a significant corresponding risk of time from HIV/AIDS diagnosis to death was found among HIV/AIDS patients. Primarily, patients who were employees had double the chance to die (HR: 1.66; 95%CI: 1.05 to 2.62). In contrast, patients with complementary care were more likely to have longer life by about 53% (0.47; 0.28 to 0.76). Regarding the in-patients, they were 9 times more likely to die (8.94; 5.47 to 14.60). Patients who had heterosexual behavior also had double risk of death (1.86; 1.32 to 2.63). Finally, those who were at risk of infection by their sexual behaviors had double the chance to die (1.98; 1.12 to 3.48).

Conclusion : An association between demographic factors and survival time from HIV/AIDS diagnosis to death among patients with HIV/AIDS infection was found. the factors are namely: employment, complementary care, type of patient, sexual behavior, and risk of infection.