International Journal of STD & AIDS > Volume 19, Number 3 > Pp. 172-177

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Original research articles

Influence of antiretroviral treatment on quality of life in seropositive inmates

L Sordo del Castillo MD MPh ^*, I Ruiz-Pérez MD PhD   , A Olry de Labry-Lima PhD MPh  , J M Soto-Blanco MD PhM  , E Girela-López MD ^**, J M Castro-Recio MD  and J J Antón-Basanta MD 

^* Preventive Service, Hospital Virgen de las Nieves; Public Health Area, Andalusian School of Public Health; CIBER Epidemiologia y Salud Publica (CIBEQESP), Spain; Critical Care and Emergency Service, Intensive Medicine Unit, Hospital San Cecilio, Granada; ^** Medical Services, Córdoba Penitentiary Centre, Córdoba; Medical Services, Huelva Penitentiary Centre, Huelva; Medical Services, Granada Penitentiary Centre, Granada, Spain

Correspondence to: Dr Isabel Ruiz-Pérez, Escuela Andaluza de Salud Pública, Campus Universitario de Cartuja, Apdo. de correos 2070, CP 18080 Granada, Spain Email: isabel.ruiz.easp{at}juntadeandalucia.es

The aim of the study is to evaluate the influence of antiretroviral treatment on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of three groups of HIV-positive inmates: those who are taking antiretroviral treatment, those who are not on treatment as it has not yet been indicated, and those who refuse to take treatment even though it has been recommended. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 585 HIV+ inmates in three prisons. The response variable was HRQOL. Independent variables were: sociodemographic variables, psychosocial and drug-related variables. Two multivariate linear regression models were constructed in order to determine the HRQOL, physical health score (PHS) and mental health score (MHS), for each of the three groups identified, using patients who refused treatment as the reference category. Patients who refused therapy had a lower MHS compared with patients in whom treatment was not indicated (P = 0.038). With regard to PHS, patients refusing therapy had a lower score than patients who were not indicated therapy (P = 0.005), and than patients receiving therapy (P = 0.010).

Key Words: antiretrovirals • HIV • prisons • quality of life

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