Health-related quality of life and its association with sociodemographic, economic, health status and lifestyles among HIV-positive patients in northern Malaysia.

Sociodemographic status and medical problems were widely reported as the major factors in people living with HIV (PLHIV) with lower health-related quality of life (HRQoL). However, lifestyles and cultural changes are rarely studied. A multicentred cross-sectional study was conducted among 137 virally suppressed PLHIV on antiretroviral therapy (ART) in northern Malaysia by face-to-face interviews and World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL)-BREF questionnaire. It was to explore their health and socioeconomic status, lifestyles, and associations with different HRQoL domains. The result of multiple linear regression showed that smoking was a predominant risk factor of lower physical (beta coefficient (β): -5.82, 95% confidence interval (CI): -9.97 to -1.66;  = 0.006), social (β: -8.76, 95% CI: -15.12 to -2.40;  = 0.007), and environmental domain scores (β: -10.25, 95% CI: -15.21 to -5.30;  < 0.001). Poor physical health also associated with unemployment ( < 0.001) and adverse drug reaction ( = 0.015). Ethnicity was a significant factor of psychological ( = 0.007) and environment domain score ( = 0.009). HRQoL of PLHIV is strongly associated with their lifestyles and societal class. Mandatory lifestyle screening, behavioural interventions and re-employment assistance should be implemented on all PLHIV.