• Lorenza Nogueira Campos, Cibele Comini César, and GuimarãesMark Drew CroslandMD.
• Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, School of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte/MG, Brazil. lorenzanc@gmail.com
• Clinics (Sao Paulo). 2009 Jan 1; 64 (9): 867875867-75.

IntroductionDespite improvement in clinical treatment for HIV-infected patients, the impact of antiretroviral therapy on the overall quality of life has become a major concern.ObjectiveTo identify factors associated with increased levels of self-reported quality of life among HIV-infected patients after four months of antiretroviral therapy.MethodsPatients were recruited at two public health referral centers for AIDS, Belo Horizonte, Brazil, for a prospective adherence study. Patients were interviewed before initiating treatment (baseline) and after one and four months. Quality of life was assessed using a psychometric instrument, and factors associated with good/very good quality of life four months after the initiation of antiretroviral therapy were assessed using a cross-sectional approach. Logistic regression was used for analysis.ResultsOverall quality of life was classified as 'very good/good' by 66.4% of the participants four months after initiating treatment, while 33.6% classified it as 'neither poor nor good/poor/very poor'. Logistic regression indicated that >8 years of education, none/mild symptoms of anxiety and depression, no antiretroviral switch, lower number of adverse reactions and better quality of life at baseline were independently associated with good/very good quality of life over four months of treatment.ConclusionsOur results highlight the importance of modifiable factors such as psychiatric symptoms and treatment-related variables that may contribute to a better quality of life among patients initiating treatment. Considering that poor quality of life is related to non-adherence to antiretroviral therapy, careful clinical monitoring of these factors may contribute to ensuring the long-term effectiveness of antiretroviral regimens.

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