Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Prevalence of Activity Limitation Among Persons Living with HIV/AIDS in British Columbia

  • Published:
Canadian Journal of Public Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

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 $1 0,000 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.

Résumé

Contexte

Depuis que les antirétroviraux accroissent l’espérance de vie des personnes vivant avec le VIH, les questions de qualité de vie prennent de l’importance. Or, on a peu étudié le genre et le niveau des restrictions de l’activité chez les personnes séropositives pour le VIH. Nous avons voulu comparer ces restrictions chez les personnes séropositives aux niveaux qui prévalent dans la population générale.

Méthode

La BC Persons With AIDS Society (BCPWA) regroupe quelque 3 500 personnes séropositives pour le VIH. Une enquête menée récemment auprès des membres de cette société comprenait un volet sur les restrictions de l’activité. Nous avons comparé la prévalence des restrictions dans ce groupe à la population générale de la Colombie-Britannique, en utilisant l’Enquête nationale sur la santé de la population (ENSP) pour calculer des ratios de prévalence normalisés (RPN).

Résultats

Par rapport à la population générale de la Colombie-Britannique, les membres de la BCPWA étaient plus susceptibles d’être des hommes, d’avoir plus de 30 ans, de ne pas avoir terminé leurs études secondaires, d’être au chômage, de vivre seuls et d’avoir un revenu du ménage inférieur à 10 000 $ par année. Le RPN pour les restrictions de l’activité chez les participants de sexe masculin, selon les taux de restrictions de la population générale de la Colombie-Britannique, était de 9,4 (8,4–10,6). Ce RPN chez les femmes était de 9,9 (7,2–11,1). Selon le taux de l’ENSP se limitant aux personnes ayant déclaré un état chronique, le RPN chez les hommes était de 6,0 (5,9–6,5), et chez les femmes, de 7,0 (5,8–8,2).

Interprétation

Les restrictions de l’activité sont courantes, même lorsqu’on compare les personnes ayant de fortes concentrations de lymphocytes CD4 et qu’on se limite aux personnes ayant un état chronique, ce qui porte à croire que la mise en œuvre de programmes de soutien aux tâches quotidiennes serait utile dans cette population.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. World Health Organization. International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. 2001. https://doi.org/www3.who.int/icf/icftem-plate.cfm

    Google Scholar 

  2. Crystal S, Fleishman J, Hays R, et al. Physical and role functioning among persons with HIV: Results from a nationally representative survey. Med Care 2000;38(12):1210–23.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Selwyn PA, Rivard M, Kappell D, Goeren B, LaFosse H, Schwartz C, et al. Palliative care for AIDS at a large urban teaching hospital: Program description and preliminary outcomes. J Palliative Med 2003;6(3):461–74.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Benedict RH, Mezhir JJ, Walsh K, Hewitt GG. Impact of human immunodeficiency virus type-1-associated cognitive dysfunction on activities of daily living and quality of life. Arch Clin Neuropsychology 2000;15(6):535–44.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Hudson AL, Lee KA, Portillo CJ. Symptom experience and functional status among HIV-infected women. AIDS Care 2003;15(4):483–92.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Detels R, Munoz A, McFarlane G, Kingsley LA, Margolick J, Giorgi J, et al. Effectiveness of potent antiretroviral therapy on time to AIDS and death in men with known HIV infection duration. JAMA 1998;280(17):1497–503.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Hogg RS, O’Shaughnessy MV, Gataric N, Yip B, Craib K, Schechter MT, Montaner JS. Decline in deaths from AIDS due to new antiretrovirals. Lancet 1997;349(9061):1294.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Moore RD, Chaisson RE. Natural history of HIV infection in the era of combination antiretroviral therapy. AIDS 1999;13(14):1933–42.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Honn V, Bornstein R. Social support, neuropsychological performance, and depression in HIV infection. J Internat Neuropsych Society 2002;8:436–47.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Cruess DG, Douglas SD, Petitto JM, Leserman J, Ten Have T, Gettes D, et al. Association of depression, CD8+ T lymphocytes, and natural killer cell activity: Implications for morbidity and mortality in Human immunodeficiency virus disease. Current Psychiatry Reports 2003;5(6):445–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. National Population Health Survey. NPHS Cycle 3 (1998–1999) Public Use Microdata Files Documentation. Statistics Canada, 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  12. van Servellen G, Sarna L, Nyamathi A, Padilla G, Brecht ML, Jablonski KJ. Emotional distress in women with symptomatic HIV disease. Issues in Mental Health Nursing 1998;19(2):173–88.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Sowell RL, Seals BF, Moneyham L, Demi A, Cohen L, Brake S. Quality of life in HIV-infected women in the south-eastern United States. AIDS Care 1997;9(5):501–12.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Neidig JL, Smith BA, Brashers DE. Aerobic exercise training for depressive symptom management in adults living with HIV infection. J Association Nurses AIDS Care 2003;14(2):30–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Smith BA, Neidig JL, Nickel JT, Mitchell GL, Para MF, Fass RJ. Aerobic exercise: Effects on parameters related to fatigue, dyspnea, weight and body composition in HIV-infected adults. AIDS 2001;15(6):693–701.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Miles MS, Holditch-Davis D, Eron J, Black BP, Pedersen C, Harris DA. An HIV self-care symptom management intervention for African American mothers. Nursing Research 2003;52(6):350–60.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Birk TJ, McGrady A, MacArthur RD, Khuder S. The effects of massage therapy alone and in combination with other complementary therapies on immune system measures and quality of life in human immunodeficiency virus. J Alternative Complementary Med 2000;6(5):405–14.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Goodkin K, Feaster DJ, Asthana D, Blaney NT, Kumar M, Baldewicz T, et al. A bereavement support group intervention is longitudinally associated with salutary effects on the CD4 cell count and number of physician visits. Clinical & Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology 1998;5(3):382–91.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. BC Centre for Disease Control, STD/AIDS Control. HIV/AIDS Update: Annual 2002. Dec 31, 2002. BCCDC, Vancouver, BC.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul’s Hospital, 613-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6, Canada

    Melanie Rusch, Arn Schilder, Paula Braitstein, Keith Chan MSc & Robert S. Hogg PhD

  2. University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Stephanie Nixon

  3. Vancouver, Canada

    Arn Schilder & Paula Braitstein

  4. University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Melanie Rusch

Authors
  1. Melanie Rusch
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Stephanie Nixon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Arn Schilder
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Paula Braitstein
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Keith Chan MSc
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Robert S. Hogg PhD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Melanie Rusch.

Additional information

Acknowledgements: This work was supported by the Canadian Working Group on HIV and Rehabilitation (CWGHR); by the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research through a Senior Scholar Award to Dr. Robert Hogg and a Doctoral Scholar Award to Paula Braitstein; by the Canadian Institute for Health Research through a Doctoral Research Fellowship to Stephanie Nixon; and by the Partnerships for Community Health Research through a Training Fellowship to Melanie Rusch

The authors are indebted to all the members of the British Columbia PWA society who participated in this study.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rusch, M., Nixon, S., Schilder, A. et al. Prevalence of Activity Limitation Among Persons Living with HIV/AIDS in British Columbia. Can J Public Health 95, 437–440 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03403989

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03403989

Search

Navigation