Self-reported musculoskeletal disorders and associated factors among HIV/AIDS patients following ART at University Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Gondar, Ethiopia, 2021

Background: People with HIV/AIDS following ART experience immunological improvement and normal life expectancy. However, with this increased life expectancy has emerged a symptom burden such as musculoskeletal pain/disorder. Despite, this health problems in HIV/AIDS patients (PLWHAs) have become a concern, there is a lack of data on the prevalence and associated factors of musculoskeletal disorders among HIV/AIDS following ART in sub-Saharan Africa and also in Ethiopia. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and associated factors of musculoskeletal disorders among adult HIV/AIDS patients following ART clinic at University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Gondar, Ethiopia 2021. Method: An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted from September 1 st to October 1 st , 2021 at University of Gondar comprehensive specialized hospital, Gondar, Ethiopia. The data was collected through an interview-administered questionnaire and patient medical record review of 324 participants. Binary logistic regression was used to identify associated risk factors of musculoskeletal disorders. The strength of the association was detected by the adjusted odds ratio and P-value. Result: A total of 324, with nearly half the age range of 25-44 years participants were enrolled in this study. Among participants, 158 (48.5%) of them experienced musculoskeletal disorders of annual prevalence. BMI, opportunistic infection [AOR, 10.43; 95%CI 2.756-42.25], type of ART medication used, CD4-count [AOR, 0.13; 95% CI 0.032-0.852], and change in ART regimen change [AOR, 8.14; 95%CI 2.062-32.09] were significantly associated with a musculoskeletal disorder. Conclusion: The prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders was moderate (48.5%). BMI, recent CD4 count, opportunistic infection, ART regime at initiation, and ART regime change were significantly associated with a musculoskeletal disorder. A multidisciplinary approach is required, to link the ART clinic and physiotherapy department for preventing and treating musculoskeletal disorders among HIV/AIDS patients following ART .