Disrupted HIV care during COVID-19 pandemic associated with increased disabilities among people living with HIV in Belize
Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic may have impacted disabilities among people living with HIV; however, data on the association between COVID-19 pandemic-related healthcare disruptions and disabilities among people living with HIV is limited. We aimed to evaluate the association between COVID-19-affect...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-85475-4 |
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| author | Tracy M. Quetzal Wei-Cheng Lo Ya-Wen Chiu Hung-Yi Chiou |
| author_facet | Tracy M. Quetzal Wei-Cheng Lo Ya-Wen Chiu Hung-Yi Chiou |
| author_sort | Tracy M. Quetzal |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic may have impacted disabilities among people living with HIV; however, data on the association between COVID-19 pandemic-related healthcare disruptions and disabilities among people living with HIV is limited. We aimed to evaluate the association between COVID-19-affected HIV care behaviors and disability domains among people living with HIV in Belize. A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Western Regional Hospital and Southern Regional Hospital between August and October 2021 among people living with HIV in Belize aged ≥ 21 years and on antiretroviral therapy. A self-reported questionnaire captured data on demographic and clinical characteristics (gender, age, ethnicity, marital status, employment, education, CD4 count, and viral load), COVID-19-affected HIV care behaviors, and disability across six domains (physical, cognitive, and mental-emotional symptoms and impairments; uncertainty; difficulties carrying out day-to-day activities; and social inclusion challenges) using the Short-Form HIV Disability Questionnaire. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to analyze the data. Of the 489 participants, 276 (56.4%) were women and 213 (43.6%) were men. After adjusting for covariates, (age, gender, employment, CD4 count, viral load, COVID-19-affected HIV care behaviours), our results showed that people living with HIV, whose HIV care behaviors were greatly affected by COVID-19, were more likely to have disabilities across various domains: physical (adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 1.61, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.08–2.41, p = 0.018), cognitive (AOR: 2.49, 95% CI: 1.58–3.94, p < 0.001), uncertainty (AOR: 2.94, 95% CI: 1.68–5.12, p < 0.001), difficulties carrying out day-to-day activities (AOR: 1.69, 95% CI: 1.06–2.69, p = 0.027), and social inclusion challenges (AOR: 1.89, 95% CI: 1.27–2.81, p = 0.002). Mitigating disruptions in care behaviors through the implementation of more accessible and comprehensive healthcare services may potentially address the multifaceted nature of HIV disabilities. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d676e8bbffa64dab88fdefeefb27b415 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
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| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-d676e8bbffa64dab88fdefeefb27b4152025-01-26T12:28:55ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-01-0115111110.1038/s41598-025-85475-4Disrupted HIV care during COVID-19 pandemic associated with increased disabilities among people living with HIV in BelizeTracy M. Quetzal0Wei-Cheng Lo1Ya-Wen Chiu2Hung-Yi Chiou3Ph.D. Program in Global Health & Health Security, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical UniversityMaster Program in Applied Epidemiology, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical UniversityInstitute of Population Health Sciences, National Health Research InstitutesPh.D. Program in Global Health & Health Security, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical UniversityAbstract The COVID-19 pandemic may have impacted disabilities among people living with HIV; however, data on the association between COVID-19 pandemic-related healthcare disruptions and disabilities among people living with HIV is limited. We aimed to evaluate the association between COVID-19-affected HIV care behaviors and disability domains among people living with HIV in Belize. A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Western Regional Hospital and Southern Regional Hospital between August and October 2021 among people living with HIV in Belize aged ≥ 21 years and on antiretroviral therapy. A self-reported questionnaire captured data on demographic and clinical characteristics (gender, age, ethnicity, marital status, employment, education, CD4 count, and viral load), COVID-19-affected HIV care behaviors, and disability across six domains (physical, cognitive, and mental-emotional symptoms and impairments; uncertainty; difficulties carrying out day-to-day activities; and social inclusion challenges) using the Short-Form HIV Disability Questionnaire. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to analyze the data. Of the 489 participants, 276 (56.4%) were women and 213 (43.6%) were men. After adjusting for covariates, (age, gender, employment, CD4 count, viral load, COVID-19-affected HIV care behaviours), our results showed that people living with HIV, whose HIV care behaviors were greatly affected by COVID-19, were more likely to have disabilities across various domains: physical (adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 1.61, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.08–2.41, p = 0.018), cognitive (AOR: 2.49, 95% CI: 1.58–3.94, p < 0.001), uncertainty (AOR: 2.94, 95% CI: 1.68–5.12, p < 0.001), difficulties carrying out day-to-day activities (AOR: 1.69, 95% CI: 1.06–2.69, p = 0.027), and social inclusion challenges (AOR: 1.89, 95% CI: 1.27–2.81, p = 0.002). Mitigating disruptions in care behaviors through the implementation of more accessible and comprehensive healthcare services may potentially address the multifaceted nature of HIV disabilities.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-85475-4DisabilitiesCare behaviourCOVID-19BelizeFunction limitationPandemic |
| spellingShingle | Tracy M. Quetzal Wei-Cheng Lo Ya-Wen Chiu Hung-Yi Chiou Disrupted HIV care during COVID-19 pandemic associated with increased disabilities among people living with HIV in Belize Scientific Reports Disabilities Care behaviour COVID-19 Belize Function limitation Pandemic |
| title | Disrupted HIV care during COVID-19 pandemic associated with increased disabilities among people living with HIV in Belize |
| title_full | Disrupted HIV care during COVID-19 pandemic associated with increased disabilities among people living with HIV in Belize |
| title_fullStr | Disrupted HIV care during COVID-19 pandemic associated with increased disabilities among people living with HIV in Belize |
| title_full_unstemmed | Disrupted HIV care during COVID-19 pandemic associated with increased disabilities among people living with HIV in Belize |
| title_short | Disrupted HIV care during COVID-19 pandemic associated with increased disabilities among people living with HIV in Belize |
| title_sort | disrupted hiv care during covid 19 pandemic associated with increased disabilities among people living with hiv in belize |
| topic | Disabilities Care behaviour COVID-19 Belize Function limitation Pandemic |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-85475-4 |
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