Journal of Applied Biosciences (J. Appl. Biosci.) [ISSN 1997 - 5902]
Volume 18: 976 - 982. Published June 8, 2009.
Effect of anti-retroviral therapy on work productivity of HIV patients in Abia State, Nigeria
Amadi, A.N*., Iro, O.K**., *Obi, R.K***^. and Amadi, C.O.A.**
*Department of Public Health Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria; **School of Postgraduate Studies, Imo State University, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria; ***Department of Microbiology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria
^Corresponding author e–mail: robertobi_2003@yahoo.ca
ABSTRACT
Objectives: Recent advances in Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) reduce morbidity and mortality in HIV/AIDS patients with marked improvement in their work productivity. The objective of this research was to investigate the extent to which ART improves work productivity of HIV/AIDS patients in Abia State, Nigeria.
Methodology and results: A total of 235 HIV/AIDS patients (aged 20 - 54) out of which 124 (52.8%) were on ART were recruited into this study and used as morbidity indicators. The work productivity of patients on ART was compared to that of patients not on therapy using independent sample T-test. The mean number of restricted activity days, bed disability days, and work days lost due to illness for patients who were not on ART were more than for those on treatment by 3.88, 2.31, and 3.10, respectively. There were significant differences on these parameters between the two groups of patients at 95% confidence interval: t (194.34) = -824; t (151.762) = -7.40; t (151.084) = -9.35.
Conclusion and application of findings: It was therefore concluded that ART considerably (p>0.05) improves the work productivity of HIV/AIDS patients. Further research is however required to quantify the economic gains of this improvement.
FULL PAPER [PDF AVAILABLE HERE]
