Statistical Modelling of Disease Progression among HIV-Infected Patients on Antiretroviral Therapy at Howard Opportunistic Infection Clinic
Authors
M.Sc. Biostatistics, Department of Finance, Business Studies and Post Graduate Studies, Reformed Church University, Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe)
PhD, Department of Development Studies, Midlands State University, Gweru, Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe)
Article Information
DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS.2026.100801181
Subject Category: Social Science Health
Volume/Issue: 10/8 | Page No: 17271-17277
Publication Timeline
Submitted: 2026-09-09
Accepted: 2026-09-14
Published: 2026-09-28
Abstract
Background: Sustaining high rates of adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is critical to suppressing HIV viral replication, delaying disease progression, and improving survival. While prior research indicates that treatment adherence and mortality patterns vary across demographic factors such as marital status, the specific differential trajectories of immunologic indicators and clinical disease progression between married and non-married patients remain under-investigated in sub-Saharan Africa. This study evaluated patterns of change in immunologic markers (CD4+ T-cell count) and clinical parameters (haemoglobin and weight) over time according to marital status among HIV-infected adults initiating ART.
Keywords
Antiretroviral Therapy (ART); CD4 Lymphocyte Trajectory; Statistical Modelling; Random Effects Model; Hierarchical Linear Model; Marital Status; HIV Disease Progression; Zimbabwe.
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