Prevalence and Risk Factors of HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders in Rural Southwestern Uganda

Advances in treatment of HIV have dramatically improved survival rates; HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND), however, remain highly prevalent and continue to represent a significant public health problem, especially in resource-limited settings. We completed a cross-sectional study to describe the prevalence and risk factors for HAND in rural Southwestern Uganda AIDS Support Organization Centers. After securing ethical clearance from relevant bodies, 393 participants were screened for HAND using the International HIV Dementia Scale. A cutoff score of <= 10 and a significance level of p <= .05 were set. More than half of the 393 participants (n = 229, 58.23%) screened positive for HAND. The associated risk factors were gender (odds ratio [OR] 0.54, p = .017), peasant farming (OR 1.70, p = .04), and older age (OR 1.03, p = .019). HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder remains one of the major complications of HIV despite improvement in antiretroviral therapy and life expectancies.