Weight Change and Its Predictors among Newly Initiated ART Clients in Dessie City, Northeast Ethiopia, July 2020. Longitudinal Data Analysis

Abstract Background The weight of HIV/AIDS patients is one of the classifications WHO clinical staging of the diseases. A positive weight change in antiretroviral therapy patients is one of the expected clinical outcomes within a few months after the initiation of antiretroviral therapy in previously naïve patients. But the weight change varies across clients, and the reason for this variation and the effect of time-varying clinical profiles on the weight of the clients is not well investigated. Method: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in Dessie City Health Facility in July 2020. The data were collected using a simple random sampling method in adult antiretroviral therapy clients who were enrolled to care between January to June 2019. Totally, 58 charts were reviewed within three months interval for 6 consecutive observations per chart. The data were entered into Epi-data, and analyzed using Stata 14. The effect of Panel and random effect model was assessed using Breusch and Pagan and Hausman's test, respectively. Finally, the Random Effect Generalize Least Square model was fitted, and variables with a p-value less than 0.05 were considered as the predictors of weight change. Result A total of 58 clients chart with 322 observations were assessed and the mean age (standard deviation) of participants were 37 (10) and 30 (51.7%) of them were female clients. The absence of opportunistic infection (β:1.85; 95% CI:0.66–3.03) the interaction of opportunistic infection and months on Antiretroviral Therapy (β:0.09; 95% CI:0.05–0.13) and advanced WHO clinical stage (β: -3.52; 95% CI: -6.71-(-0.34)) were significantly associated with the weight of adult Antiretroviral Therapy user overtime. Conclusion There is a significant positive weight change after imitation of Antiretroviral Therapy. The absence of opportunistic infection and its interaction with time have a positive change on the weight of adult Antiretroviral Therapy clients whereas, experiencing advanced WHO stage disease over time has a negative effect on the weight change.