BMC Public Health. 2025 Feb 24;25(1):761. doi: 10.1186/s12889-025-21780-x.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Globally, uncertainty persists regarding the prevalence of comorbidities in noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) among people living with HIV (PLWH) compared those without HIV. This uncertainty extends to the degree of nonrandom associations between comorbidities in both populations, particularly in resource-limited settings.
METHODS: This cross-sectional study involved 343 HIV-infected individuals (cases) and 686 HIV-uninfected counterparts (controls), with a 1:2 individual matching ratio. Nonrandom associations between comorbidities were assessed using Somers’ D statistic.
RESULTS: Comorbidity prevalence was significantly higher in cases (48.7%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 43.4%-54.0%) than in controls (26.8%, 95% CI: 23.5%-30.1%). Cases exhibited more comorbidities than controls (6 and 4, respectively). Depression, cardiovascular diseases, chronic liver disease, chronic kidney disease, and chronic renal insufficiency were more prevalent among cases (25.7%, 7.9%, 11.1%, 3.5%, 2.0%, respectively) compared to controls. No significant differences were observed in the prevalence of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and musculoskeletal disorders between the two populations (cases: 7.9%, 12.5%, 0.3%, 6.4%, respectively; controls: 5.1%, 15.6%, 0.1%, 3.9%, respectively). Nonrandom associations between comorbidities were statistically significant in both groups, with Somers’ D values ranging from 0.101 to 0.982 in cases and from 0.102 to 0.472 in controls.
CONCLUSIONS: The HIV-infected population demonstrates a higher prevalence of comorbidities compared to the HIV-uninfected population. Nonrandom associations between comorbidities exist in both populations, with stronger associations observed among PLWH.
PMID:39994646 | DOI:10.1186/s12889-025-21780-x
