The Government of India established the National AIDS Control Program (NACP) in 1986. In 1991, the program was expanded and the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) was established to implement it. By the end of the first phase (NACP 1, 1992-1999) the program had decentralized to the states, although substantial variations existed in their commitment and capacities.¹

NACP 2 (1999 – 2006) continued to expand the program and involved NGOs and other sectors such as education and transport, as well as the police. Under NACP 3 (2006-11), the program is dramatically scaling up targeted prevention interventions, such as promoting condom use among sex workers and their clients, implementing harm reduction among injecting drug users, and supporting peer educators to reach the vulnerable groups at highest risk.

The government is building on partnerships with civil society organizations and the active involvement people living with HIV and AIDS and other key groups. Surveillance and strategic information management have also received a boost, resulting in improved estimations of HIV prevalence from 2006 onwards.

NEED FOR THE STUDY:

The silent spread and slow evolution of HIV/AIDS has resulted in its global spread and is unlikely to spare any continent, nation, race or political system. It is estimated that by the close of the next decade, India would turn out to be one of the major AIDS affected country in the world ².

Around 33 million people live with HIV/AIDS worldwide. Of these, 2.7 million people are newly infected and 2 million people died from HIV/AIDS as per the latest statistics published by UN AIDS/WHO in July 2008^3. An estimated 2.5 million people in India are said to be living with HIV/AIDS, the third largest AIDS figure in the world. The current statistics shows that Karnataka state has 250,000 HIV infected people and 33,000 suffering from AIDS as stated by Karnataka state AIDS Prevention Society (KSAPS). In Karnataka, Mysore district, ranking third in the State in terms of prevalence of HIV/AIDS cases whereas Bagalkot district occupies the top position in the State ⁴.

Therefore, the present study investigates the QOL of PLWHA receiving ART and examines the factors that may affect it.

OBJECTIVES:

The objectives of the study are:

1. To assess the quality of life of people living with HIV/AIDS receiving Anti-retroviral therapy from the selected Anti-retroviral therapy centre’s of Mysore.

2. To find the association between quality of life of people living with HIV/AIDS receiving Anti-retroviral therapy from the selected Anti-retroviral therapy centre’s of Mysore with their selected personal variables.

HYPOTHESIS:

H₁:- There is significant association between quality of life of People living with HIV/AIDS receiving ART with their selected personal variables.

METHODOLOGY:

Research Design: Descriptive design

Variables under study

Study variable: quality of life of people living with HIV/AIDS receiving Anti Retroviral Therapy

Socio demographic variable: Age, sex, religion, education, occupation, family income per month, marital status, cd4 cell count.

Setting of the Study: The study was conducted in the ART centre, Mysore.

Sample and sampling technique: Sample size consists of 30 HIV positive patients who receiving ART treatment, through random sampling technique.

Data Collection Instrument and Technique:

A structured interview method was used by using WHO QOL-BREF instrument.

The instrument consists of the following parts:

Instruments used

Tool 1: Demographic proforma.

Tool 2: QOL was evaluated using WHO QOL-BREF instrument.

WHO QOL-BREF has 26 items grouped under four domains.

Data analysis

Data was analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics.

· Frequency and Percentage to analyze the selected personal variable of PLWHA receiving ART.

· Chi square to analyze the association between the PLWHA receiving ART and their selected personal variables.

Major findings of the study

· Majority 53.33 %( 16), of the PLWHA receiving ART are in the age group 30-39 Years.

· 66.66% (20), of the PLWHA receiving ART are male and 33.33%% are females.

· Majority 90% (27), of the PLWHA receiving ART people living with HIV/AIDS receiving ART are Hindus.

· Majority 46.66% (14), of the PLWHA receiving ART are educated upto SSLC,40% (12) are without any formal education and13.33% (04) are PUC

· Most 43.33% (13), of the PLWHA receiving ART are doing coolie, 26.66 %( 08) are self employed, 20 %( 06) are unemployed and 10 %( 03) are doing other works.

· Almost 56.66% (17), of the PLWHA receiving ART are having family income of 3001-6000, 33.33 %( 10) are having <3000 and 10 %( 03) are having 6001 and above.

· Majority of 76.66% (23), of the PLWHA receiving ART are married, 13.33 %( 04) single and 10 %( 03) are widow.

· Almost 70% (21), of the PLWHA receiving ART are having <350 CD4 count and 30 %( 09) are having >350.

· The mean score is 44, with SD of ± 12.48, median 44, and range from 26 to 69 for physical health domain. For psychological domain mean score are 35.33, with SD of ± 17.42, median 31, and a range of 13-69. The mean score for social relationship domain is 43.16 with SD of ± 25.97, median 50 and a range from 0-69 followed by the environment domain mean score 60, with SD ± 22.4 median 69 and a range from 31-88.

· The 30 %( 03) of PLWHA receiving ART have high QOL about their physical health and 70% of them have low QOL. About psychological well being, PLWHA 23.33 %( 07) of them have high QOL and 76.66 %( 23) have low QOL followed by for social relationship 26.66% %( 08) have high QOL and 73.33 % (22) have low QOL. For environment 56.66% (17) have high QOL and 43.33 %( 13) have moderate QOL.

· Also there is no significant association of QOL scores with their selected personal variables

CONCLUSION:

Thus study concludes that PLWHA receiving ART should get enough psychological support from the society. As health professionals it’s the responsibility of us to counsel such patients to improve their quality of life also there should be provision for counseling facility from the first referral unit of services.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. Similar study can be conducted on a large sample to generalize the findings.

2. A comparative study can be performed between urban and rural area.

3. Similar study can be conducted using different methods of data collection

REFERENCE:

1. Park .K, Textbook of preventive and social medicine. 21^sted. Jabalpur (India): Banarsidas Publishers; 2011. P.644-48

2. Nayak BK. Helping HIV/AIDS victims to handle life. Health action 2007 Dec; 20(1):33-5.

3. Boruah M. Karnataka to take care of stigmatized HIV/AIDS children. Health news 2009 Sep 21.Available from: http:// www.blog.taragana.com/health/2009/09/21/Karnataka-to-take-care-of-stigmatized-hivaids-children-12302/

4. Damon J, Virdrine, Benjamin C, Amick, Ellen R, Gritz. Functional status and quality of life HIV patients. AIDS patient care and STD’S 2003 Sep; 17(4):187-97.

5. Kohli RM, Sane S, Kumar K, Paranjape RS, Mehendale SM. Assessment of quality of life among HIV patients. Qual life res 2005 Aug;14(6):1641-7

Received on 05.05.2014 Modified on 30.05.2014

Int. J. Adv. Nur. Management 2(2): April- June, 2014; Page 90-92