Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

Objective To determine the rate and predictors of early loss to follow-up (LTFU) for recently diagnosed HIV-infected, antiretroviral therapy (ART)-ineligible adults in rural Kenya. Methods Prospective cohort study. Clients registering for HIV care between July 2008 and August 2009 were followed up for 6months. Baseline data were used to assess predictors of pre-ART LTFU (not returning for care within 2months of a scheduled appointment), LTFU before the second visit and LTFU after the second visit. Logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with LTFU before the second visit, while Cox regression was used to assess predictors of time to LTFU and LTFU after the second visit. Results Of 530 eligible clients, 178 (33.6%) were LTFU from pre-ART care (11.1/100 person-months). Of these, 96 (53.9%) were LTFU before the second visit. Distance (>5km vs. <1km: adjusted hazard ratio 2.6 [1.9-3.7], P<0.01) and marital status (married vs. single: 0.5 [0.3-0.6], P<0.01) independently predicted pre-ART LTFU. Distance and marital status were independently associated with LTFU before the second visit, while distance, education status and seasonality showed weak evidence of predicting LTFU after the second visit. HIV disease severity did not predict pre-ART LTFU. Conclusions A third of recently diagnosed HIV-infected, ART-ineligible clients were LTFU within 6months of registration. Predictors of LTFU among ART-ineligible clients are different from those among clients on ART. These findings warrant consideration of an enhanced pre-ART care package aimed at improving retention and timely ART initiation. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Original publication

DOI

10.1111/j.1365-3156.2011.02889.x

Type

Journal article

Journal

Tropical Medicine and International Health

Publication Date

01/01/2012

Volume

17

Pages

82 - 93