Quality of life and associated factors among people living with HIV in Türkiye: A single-centre experience.
Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is a key patient-reported outcome in people living with HIV, reflecting physical, psychological and social well-being. This study aimed to evaluate HRQoL among people living with HIV in Türkiye using the PozQoL scale and to examine sociodemographic, clinical and treatment-related factors associated with HRQoL.
This cross-sectional, hospital-based study was conducted between May and August 2025 among 299 people living with HIV followed at the Tepecik Training and Research Hospital HIV Clinic in Izmir. The validated Turkish version of the PozQoL scale was administered to assess psychological, social, health concerns and functional domains. Sociodemographic and clinical variables, including comorbidities and polypharmacy, were analysed using t tests, Mann-Whitney U tests and multiple linear regression.
Participants had a mean age of 39.0 ± 11.8 years; 88.3% were male and 86.4% had virological suppression. The mean total PozQoL score was 47.83 ± 11.83. Multivariable analyses showed that depression was the only variable independently associated with lower total PozQoL scores (p = 0.009). In the psychological domain model, gender (p = 0.031), marital status (p = 0.022) and depression (p = 0.014) remained significantly associated with psychological well-being. Overall, unmarried participants, women/trans participants and those with depression had lower psychological domain scores. No significant associations were observed with HIV RNA suppression or transmission route.
Among virologically suppressed people living with HIV, higher PozQoL scores indicate better HRQoL. In this virologically suppressed cohort, HRQoL was primarily associated with social factors (gender, marital status), psychosocial factors (e.g., depression) and comorbidity burden rather than immunovirological indicators. Routine use of patient-reported outcome measures such as PozQoL can help identify treatable factors-including depression and polypharmacy-and support the integration of mental health and multimorbidity management into person-centred HIV care.
This cross-sectional, hospital-based study was conducted between May and August 2025 among 299 people living with HIV followed at the Tepecik Training and Research Hospital HIV Clinic in Izmir. The validated Turkish version of the PozQoL scale was administered to assess psychological, social, health concerns and functional domains. Sociodemographic and clinical variables, including comorbidities and polypharmacy, were analysed using t tests, Mann-Whitney U tests and multiple linear regression.
Participants had a mean age of 39.0 ± 11.8 years; 88.3% were male and 86.4% had virological suppression. The mean total PozQoL score was 47.83 ± 11.83. Multivariable analyses showed that depression was the only variable independently associated with lower total PozQoL scores (p = 0.009). In the psychological domain model, gender (p = 0.031), marital status (p = 0.022) and depression (p = 0.014) remained significantly associated with psychological well-being. Overall, unmarried participants, women/trans participants and those with depression had lower psychological domain scores. No significant associations were observed with HIV RNA suppression or transmission route.
Among virologically suppressed people living with HIV, higher PozQoL scores indicate better HRQoL. In this virologically suppressed cohort, HRQoL was primarily associated with social factors (gender, marital status), psychosocial factors (e.g., depression) and comorbidity burden rather than immunovirological indicators. Routine use of patient-reported outcome measures such as PozQoL can help identify treatable factors-including depression and polypharmacy-and support the integration of mental health and multimorbidity management into person-centred HIV care.
Authors
Akbulut Akbulut, Varol Varol, Singil Singil, Filiz Filiz, Ordu Ordu, Ödemiş Ödemiş, Atalay Atalay
View on Pubmed