Prevalence of chronic conditions, their risk factors and associated disability in people aged 50 years and above infected or affected by HIV in Uganda

Joseph Mugisha, University of Missouri and MRC Uganda
Enid Schatz, University of Missouri, Columbia
Madeleine Randell, University of Sydney
Monica Kuteesa, Uganda Virus Research Institute
Eugene Kinyanda, Uganda Virus Research Institute
Paul Kowal, World Health Organization (WHO)
Joel Negin, University of Sydney
Janet Seeley, MRC/UVRI Uganda Research Unit on AIDS and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM)

Data on chronic conditions and their effect on disability in older people infected or affected by HIV are scarce in African settings. We aim to describe (1) the prevalence of chronic conditions and level of functioning in older people infected or affected by HIV and the related risk factors, and (2) draw attention to associations between these chronic diseases and disability. The study population focuses on older adults aged 50 and older who were infected or affected by HIV. Using WHO-Study of global AGEing and adult health cross-sectional survey data from Uganda, we found that people living with HIV had different rates of chronic conditions and risk factors than uninfected participants. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was more prevalent in HIV infected participants, but other non-communicable diseases were higher in HIV uninfected participants; and, generally, risk factors (tobacco and alcohol use) were more prevalent in the non-HIV infected group.