Prevalence of Neurocognitive Impairment and Associated Factors Among People Living with HIV on Highly Active Antiretroviral Treatment, Ethiopia

BACKGROUND: The burden of HIV is mainly found in Sub Saharan Africa. The HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment is found to be higher and it can exist at all stages of HIV. The HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment has a significant impact on a patient’s daily living and highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) adherence. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment among adult people on HIV treatment. METHODS: A total of 423 people living with HIV/AIDS were planned to include in the study. A systematic random sampling technique was used to get the study participants. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify associated factors of HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment. Factors with a p-value of ≤ 0.2 on bivariate analyses were recruited for multivariate logistic regression analyses, and 95% CI at p-value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Variance inflation factors for continuous variables and Spearman rank correlation for categorical variables were performed. There was no multicollinearity between suspected predictor variables. Model fitness was checked using Hosmer and Lemeshow Test, and its p-value was 0.45. RESULT: A total of 422 individuals on HAART were included which gave a response rate of 99.8%. The prevalence of HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment was 41% (95% CI=36.3, 45.6). Older individuals, low monthly income, having comorbid depression and anxiety, have no communication about safe sexual intercourse, higher duration of HIV illness, and having poor social support were statistically significant associated factors of HIV neurocognitive impairment. CONCLUSION: Two among five HIV patients on HAART treatment experienced HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment. It will be better if health professionals working at the HIV/TB clinic screen and consult HIV patients for psychiatric evaluation and treatment. Due attention should be given to HIV patients with associated factors.