Self-assessment of health status as a factor for the prediction of adherence to follow-up and treatment of HIV infection: results of correlation analysis

Objective. To carry out correlation analysis of the results of a questionnaire survey of people living with HIV and to define indicators for predicting the risks of non-adherence to follow-up and treatment of HIV infection. Subjects and methods. In 2019-2020, a study, one of its stages was a direct written questionnaire survey, was conducted in 2 regions of the Russian Federation (the Republic of Tatarstan and the Leningrad Region). Group 1 consisted of161 patients interviewed in the Republican Center for Prevention and Control of AIDS and Communicable Diseases, Ministry of Health of the Republic of Tatarstan; Group 2 included 166 patients asked in the Leningrad Regional AIDS Center (Saint Petersburg). The respondents were offered a 10-point scale to rate their health status, the ability and willingness to take care of their health, as well as the readiness to visit a physician and to receive ART. Results. Group 1 respondents rated their health status as 3 to 10points (Me, 9.0 [8.0; 10.0] points), the ability to take care of their health as 1 to 10points (Me, 9.0 [8.0; 10.0] points), the readiness to take care of their health as 0.5 to 10points (Me, 9.0 [9.0; 10.0] points). 88.1% of the respondents defined their readiness to take care of their health as 8 or more points. Group 1 rated the readiness to visit a physician and receive ART as 5 to 10points (Me, 10.0 [9.0; 10.0] points). 91.9% of the respondents reported a high readiness. Group 2 respondents rated their health status as 3 to 10points (Me, 7.5 [5.5; 9.0]points). 42.4% gave a point of 8 or more; 24.2% had 5 or less points. The ability to take care of their health was defined as 1 to 10points (Me, 5.5 [3.5; 9.1] points), the readiness to take care of their health was as 0.5 to 10points (Me, 9.5 [8.4; 9.5]points), the readiness to visit a physician and to receive ART as 5 to 10 points (Me, 9.5 [9.0; 10.0)] points). Both groups showed a statistically significant regularity: the higher the self-assessment of their health, the higher the readiness and ability to take care of the latter on their own. The same pattern was observed for the willingness to visit a physician and to receive ART. Self-assessment of health status in both groups did not depend on gender, age, education, marital status, and length of life with HIV. Conclusion. Self-assessment of the health status can be a simple tool that will optimize the tactics of managing a patient in terms of attracting and retaining him at follow-up and effective therapy, and saving the resources of healthcare professionals.

HIV infection, adherence, indicator, health self-assessment