A Cross-sectional Survey of Comorbidity Profile among Adult Human Immunodeficiency Virus-infected Patients Attending a Nigeria Medical University Teaching Hospital Campus Located in Akure, Ondo State

Abstract

Abstract Background and Aim: Previous studies have shown that comorbid human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients have a higher chance of dying from non-HIV comorbid disease conditions than due to HIV infection itself. This study was designed to determine the prevalent comorbid conditions among adult HIV-infected patients attending the antiretroviral clinic at a Nigeria Medical University Teaching Hospital campus in Akure, Ondo state. Materials and Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study was carried out for 6-month duration between October 2021 and April 2022. A structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from a total of 252 adult HIV-infected patients who have been on a combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) for at least a year. The data obtained were analyzed using the measure of descriptive statistics integrated within the software of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17. Results: The prevalence of comorbidity and multimorbidity (polypathology) in the present study was 40.1% and 9.5%, respectively. The result revealed that bone diseases (28.17%) and hypertension (9.92%) accounted for the predominant comorbidities observed. Using the revised 11th edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) to categorize the associated comorbid disease conditions, ICD Class 15 was the most predominant, followed by ICD Class 11, ICD Class 13, ICD Class 21, ICD Class 5, ICD Class 9, and ICD Class 12. Conclusion: Comorbidities have gradually become prevalent epidemics among people living with HIV infection due to their prolonged life expectancy and increased survival outcome over time with the chronic intake of cART.